Resident Evil Veronica: The Search for Steve
by graytreason
Summary: Claire is still finding out what has happened to Steve. Because of her experiences with the Veronica Virus she is sent with Rebecca Chambers to infultrate and investigate a facility which may hold answers...
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Resident Evil franchise or characters, this is just an idea I thought up and want to share with other fans.**

* * *

Claire carefully looked at the notes by candle light, carefully skimming through folders Chris left her before joining the B.S.A.A.  
Each folder had information about a certain facility, floor plans, staff, the works all incredibly detailed.  
She read the folder on the Spencer Estate. The infected that was faced; zombies, crows, dogs, spiders, hunters not to mention a giant snake,plant 42 and super mutant called Tyrant. How they looked, how they moved and how they attacked.  
The following page contained a list of the deceased.

_-Dead-_  
_-Kevin Dooley- killed in Bravo team's helicopter by Cerberus,_  
_-Joseph Frost- killed by Cerberus at Bravo crash site, _  
_-Kenneth J Sullivan- neck ripped open by a zombie,_  
_-Forrest Speyer- killed by Chris Redfield after turning, suspected original death by crows _  
_-Richard Aiken- poisoned by gigantic snake in the Attic,_  
_-Enrico Marini- shot by Albert Wesker in Underground cave_  
_-Albert Wesker- killed by the Tyrant in underground lab.._  
_-Billy Coen - Unknown death, Rebecca Chambers verified body _

_-Survivors- _  
_-Chris Redfield_  
_-Jill Valentine_  
_-Barry Burton_  
_-Rebecca Chambers_  
_-Brad Vickers_

_-conclusion- Self destruct sequence destroyed mansion and labs_

So many had died that fateful night all highly skilled, the best Raccoon City had to offer..  
Turning another page a report several pages long about Albert Wesker's betrayal how he was a scientist working for Umbrella, yet joined the R.P.D and became the leader of the Special Tactics And Rescue Squad, to make sure his precious employers weren't being investigated. How Barry was blackmailed into helping him destroy evidence.

There was a high relief when they believed he died in that disaster, only for Claire and Chris to find him still alive months later.

She opened up the Raccoon City file, knowing the horror she faced was still very fresh in her mind, what she saw...what she smelt..  
2 months after the Spencer incident Claire travelled to Raccoon in search of Chris. It was already too late for the city when she arrived.  
Had she arrived a day earlier she may have crossed paths with Jill, but from the stories she told her she was relieved in a way that she  
didn't have to fight a mighty weapon called Nemesis. The thought of it terrified her, yet coming across zombies, Cerberus, crows, spiders, lickers, Birkin and Mr X terrified her too.  
She was lucky enough to run into Leon who helped her through the horror. With him she also saved Sherry Birkin, the 12-year-old daughter of Annette and William Birkin..the scientist who created this mutated G-Virus that spread around the city, killing all civilians. No child should have had to go through the horror in that city, yet alone her own father mutating with the virus and chasing after her, implanting a G-Virus embryo in her..  
what happened to Chief Irons would have happened to her luckily Claire managed to create the antidote thanks to the help of Annette.

_Dead-_  
_-Annette Birkin- killed by mutated William Burkin_  
_-William Birkin - Exploded with train_  
_-Ada Wong - Killed by Mr X_  
_-Marvin Brannagh - Infected, killed by Leon S Kennedy_  
_-Chief Brian Irons - mutilated by G-Virus embryo_  
_-Brad Vickers - Killed by Nemesis_

_survivors-_  
_-Claire Redfield_  
_-Leon S Kennedy_  
_-Sherry Birkin_  
_-Jill Valentine_  
_-Carlos Olivera_

_-Conclusion - Labs destroyed by self destruct sequence as was train. Raccoon city destroyed by nuclear missile_

Claire stared at the last folder 'Rockfort Island/Antarctica'

"Steve..." She placed her hand on the folder and decided to open it.

3 months after the events of Raccoon City Claire headed to France and tried to infiltrate an Umbrella facility, but resistance was too strong and she was captured and taken to the remote Rockford Prison, which not long after got attacked from the air causing destruction and killing whoever happened to be in the wrong place.  
unbeknown to her it also released infected, which spread throughout the island like quick fire, the prisoners never stood a chance.  
Not long after she escaped from her underground cell she met with a survivor - Steve Burnside, he was very cocky, defiantly trying too hard to impress. Claire smiled when she thought of that moment.  
She remembered him saving her from a Bandersnatch, she even admitted, in a very cool way...before she was knocked out for a few seconds..  
They battled their way through Alexander Ashfords sick games, monsters and puzzles. Steve saved Claire several times as she did with him, but it wasn't to last as Alexia captured him and injected him with the Veronica virus, turning him into a monster.

Yet even then he found the strength to fight the virus and save Claire untill the very end when he was mortally wounded by Alexia. Declaring his love for her before he passed.  
She and Chris were re united and defeated Alexia.

_Dead-_  
_-Alexander Ashford- Shot by Steve Burnside and fell a considerable height, found in Alexia's chamber room_  
_-Alexia Ashford - Killed by Chris and Claire Redfield_  
_-Steve Burnside - Killed by Alexia Ashford_

_survivors-_  
_-Claire Redfield_  
_-Chris Redfield_  
_-Albert Wesker_

Claire looked at that last name. The ex leader of the R.P.D special branch, the S.T.A.R.S. Turns out he never died back at the underground labs, he injected himself, mutated..became a monster.  
Both her and Chris and separate run ins with him. Technically he would have killed them both before either could re unite, but used them both as bait instead.  
He was the reason she was still searching...still hoping. He took Steve with him. There was a part of her that hoped he did make it, that he is still alive. Only she knew they'd do all sorts of experiments on him. She wanted to save him, bring him back, wiping away a tear.  
She wasn't able to properly read every detail of every incident, the deadline was closing fast and had to get a move on or be left behind.  
She piled the folders back together and left the house she took refuge in, blowing out the candle as she went. She couldn't stay in the same place too long, just like the remaining S.T.A.R.S - they were hunted down, she didn't want to risk being in the same situation putting everything she could into a backpack, she drew her pistol and slowly ventured out the back.

20 minutes, seemed like an hour when she reached a house, on the edge of a quiet town a quick tap on the window and the door opened.  
"Glad you guys are still here" she looked to the man and woman walking in quickly and shutting the door behind her.  
Barry Burton was sitting at a table finishing loading magazines with ammo, a vast array of guns in front of him. "We thought we'd wait for you for once."  
Rebecca handed Claire a folder. It was so much thinner than the ones she had. Opening it she saw quickly written notes about a facility 30 miles from their current whereabouts, not a lot information it was an Umbrella facility disguised.  
One word popped out of the page at her ..Veronica,she looked up to Barry "Is this the same Veronica as Rockfort?"  
"We don't know for sure, but this is why we waited for you, you have experience with the Veronica virus" He inhaled on his cigar "The B.S.A.A aren't allowing Chris to investigate so he sent word to wait for you, and here we are.. well Rebecca anyway.

I've been led to investigate another facility, 40 miles north. Leon has gone to Europe, Jill's helping Chris and Carlos went out one day and hasn't been back, I think he's investigating on his own."  
Claire nods at the rugged man and unzips to her backpack, pulling out the files handing the Spencer and Raccoon incidents to Barry and The Rockfort to Rebecca "Thought I'd do an incident report on Rockfort, may provide to be useful"  
Rebecca took the file and began reading "These monsters are getting worse.. Zombies, dogs, bats, giant worms, bandersnatch, Alexia. Is the Veronica virus a much stronger form of the T and G Viruses?"  
"Who cares, all you need to know is shoot them in the head and fill them with lead!"  
They all spin round and aim their weapons towards the voice  
"Hey hey! c'mon is that how you treat a comrade?" Carlos put his hands up "Okay maybe I shouldn't have said that.."  
Barry storms up to him and grabs a handful of the other's jacket in his hand. " Where the HELL have you been!? I ought to shoot your sorry ass!"  
"Take it easy! I got some more intel for your Facility Barry! Look I'm sorry I left suddenly, but I know you'd all be against me going by myself, I know the place. We did some covert operations there as training."  
Rebecca looked at him confused "So why didn't you tell us?"  
"I had to be sure" He looked to Barry " Let me come with you, I know that place like the back of my hand, underground, secret rooms, traps..."  
Barry says nothing, just glares at him "Barry you'd have much better chance with him helping you, please, Jill highly recommended him. He faced Raccoon City with her and you know what Jill is like with trusting.."  
He remembered back to the Spencer incident, how even though he was blackmailed and did some stupid things she still trusted him...until the obvious.. "Alright.."  
He looks to the girls "Let's start heading out, we've been here longer then we needed to be.."  
They collect all their notes, Barry divides up the ammo and first aid sprays. He placed his modified colt into its holster and places a rifle on his shoulder, Carlos takes his preferred choice of an assault rifle.  
"we'll meet you later" He nods towards the girls "You be careful, you don't exactly know what will be waiting for you"  
Rebecca smiles "Barry, you seem to be forgetting that we still have a Redfield"  
He looks towards Claire "That's what I'm afraid of" giving a little smirk as Carlos follows him out the back to one of the jeeps

"You take care ladies" He held up his hand as he walked.

They listen as they hear the sound of the engine drifting further away.  
Claire shakes her head with a smile.

Her and Rebecca grabbed the remaining stuff making sure nothing gets left behind, taking their pistols, a shotgun and a bow gun. They pack it all in the back of the jeep and Claire drives them away into the darkness.

* * *

**Author's note:-**

**Hey all! This is only really a brief recap introduction to the series. I'm placing this story 5 months on from Code Veronica. I know I'm missing names, or certain events and I will add them later, but I'm pumped to get on with the story I've got so many ideas written down and I hope you'll enjoy the story as much as I loved it.**

**Next Chapter will be better, promise!**

**It's been a while since I wrote a story so please be patient with me and thanks for reading!**


	2. The mission begins

**I don't own Resident Evil or it's Characters...you know the drill**

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"So what was Steve like?"  
Claire quickly glanced over from the road to see Rebecca reading through the Rockfort notes "Pretty ignorant at first, didn't want to team up with me because I'd 'slow him down. He came round and we helped each other greatly, saving the other's life a fair few times...but I couldn't save his the last time..'  
"What happened?" Claire glanced back to Rebecca who was giving her full attention.  
"Whilst we were escaping from the antarctic facility, the vehicle we were in got attacked. We didn't know the real Alexia was behind it, heck we didn't even know she was even real. When we caught Alfred dressed as her we just thought it was all a hoax." She took a deep breath and continued.

"I don't know what happened after that, all I remember is waking up in a mansion and Chris was there."  
"The mansion that Chris said resembled the Spencer Mansion...I guess that was a creepy coincidence for him" Rebecca looked out to the darkness ahead.  
"We had a run in with Alexia and we split up after I heard Steve screaming. I ran as fast as I could and found him, bound against the wall with a thick, metal restraint. I was able to release him from that but then there was a giant axe embedded in the wall also stopping him...that's when he pushed me away"  
Claire could feel her eyes watering up, but she wanted to tell Rebecca. She never even told Chris the details of Steve's death, not completely...  
"He mutated...grabbed the axe from the wall...and tried to kill me. All I could do was run, a gate was closing at the entrance. I got through and left Steve the other side, as I watched him all he was doing was pounding the gate, hell bent on getting me and...killing me. The door was locked with no way of getting out.

I just watched him...I couldn't do anything." She wipes a tear that was slowly falling down her cheek. "One of Alexia's tentacles burst through a wall and grabbed me, wrapped around and was crushing me..She could of killed me then, but I guess she wanted Steve to finish the job..you know 2 people meet, save each other several times only for one to turn and kill the other...that kind of story. Steve broke through the gate raised his axe and swung it down. I shut my eyes waiting for the end. But he stopped inches from my neck and said my name."  
Rebecca looked shocked "So after being infected a part of his human conciousness came through!?"  
She carried on "He turned to the tentacle wrapped around me and cut me lose, only for the still surviving part to pierce him and slam him against the wall.  
He returned to his normal self. I crouched down beside him and he raised my hand to his face saying the he was glad he met me, he was sorry he couldn't keep his promise...and that...that he loved me".  
Claire wiped a few more tears away. She was an emotional person, but not many people saw that side. But Steve's death really got to her.  
"Do you love him?"  
"I don't know...at the moment all I want is to get him back.."  
Rebecca smiled Claire's determination to find Steve made her more determined to help her "We'll find him Claire.."  
Claire nodded, hoping that the facility they were headed to would provide all the answers and lead her to him.  
Rebecca went back to her notes finishing off the Rockfort file in silence.  
"You know Becs, the Spencer estate..what happened to you was barely mentioned.."  
"I was split up from everyone else...when the chopper crash landed we searched the area and came across a prison van, the guards were mutilated. The prisoner was nowhere to be found.."  
"Billy Coen"  
Rebecca nodded "I came across a train and investigated only to find infected, but also found Billy. I should have killed him, but we helped each other.  
Killed a giant scorpion...that was a sight to see. But suddenly the train started moving and we crashed into, what we thought, was an abandoned research facility."  
Claire glanced at her from time to time to show she was listening as Rebecca continued.  
"Of course we weren't alone, zombies, primates, giant bat, tyrant. I came across Enrico who said that everyone had gone to a mansion not far from the facility and that I should go. I stayed behind to search for Billy. I do wonder that if I went with Enrico would I also be on the list of the dead from the Spencer estate.."  
"You knew your team were highly skilled, and you believed they would be fine...you had no idea how bad things were in the mansion."  
" True, things were already bad in that facility and had to kill a leech queen before we got out of there.."  
"Man you had some crazy monsters..." Claire stopped briefly when she remembered something from the file "..on the list of the dead Billy's name is on there, was he infected? How did he die?"  
Rebecca shook her head and smiled "Billy is still alive, I took his dog tags off him as some sort of proof I found his body. It wasn't his fault as to why he was in military custody so I freed him and labelled Billy Coen officially dead."  
"So where his he now?"  
"Who knows, he went one way, I went to the Mansion"  
Rebecca squinted into the darkness "We'd best pull over soon we are getting close" Claire nodded and drove the jeep into a field, hiding the vehicle behind some thick hedges.  
They couldn't just drive up to the facility and be let in without any problems. Them, Chris, Jill, Barry, Carlos, Leon even Sherry were high on Umbrella's list, no doubt they were on orders to shoot on sight.  
They quietly got out and headed to the boot to get their supplies. Claire grabbed the shotgun and handed the bow gun to Rebecca, each grabbed a radio headset placing it carefully over their ear, adjusting the mic to the side of their face, the ammo for each of their weapons with Rebecca slinging the Quiver of bolts over her shoulder. They empty the boot taking torches, first aid sprays and Rebecca taking some wire cutters.  
The air was thick and humidity was high as the 2 Raccoon city survivors begin to walk cautiously towards the facility. Handguns raised with torches carefully placed underneath. They knew to suspect the unexpected. The air was silent, not an owl or a fox stirred, Rebecca did a 360 sweep to make sure they weren't being followed or watched.

Claire looked to the distance seeing the outline of a large building "There it is."  
They quicken the pace down a hill when suddenly Rebecca falls with a mighty thump  
"You alright?" She shines her torch on the young woman regaining her composure and dusting herself off  
"Yeah I'm good, just lost my footing" Claire shone a torch to where they had jogged, the light fixated on what seemed to be a body "Shit" Rebecca moved closer keeping her gun aimed at its head, how they didn't smell that went beyond them as Claire inspected the corpse. It had been there for some time, maggots had already made their home in one of the hallowed eye sockets and along the left arm, the flesh had been completely devoured exposing muscle and bone.  
Rebecca turned her head to try to get whatever air she could before gagging at the stench. She saw as claire reached to rip a rusted chain around it's neck  
" Richard Trefur" The rest of the card was well-worn away. But by the fact that he was out here and not in the facility tells them he was either in the wrong place at the wrong time or he was thrown aside by his peers and left to die, Umbrella had the habit of using less important employees in sick experiments, all the staff were expendable .  
She looked to the back of the card and noticed a magnetic strip "Wonder if this still works?"  
"Best take it with us, just in case"  
Claire slipped the card into the back of her jeans pocket and inspected the remains of the ripped lab coat "...dogs..Cerburus?" Rebecca quickly spun around and scanned the field "We should hurry" .  
Claire nodded and they started running, neither of them wanted to be on the receiving end of any dogs nearby..if there were any.

They arrived at a perimeter gate, there was no way they could climb over, the thing looked like it was 20 foot high. Rebecca reached into a pocket of her cargos and pulled out the wire cutters, placing the torch in her mouth she started cutting through the warm mesh, it was a lot harder than what it looked, how she would have preferred to use a gate, but there wasn't one in sight.  
She had only cut through 6 links when Claire heard a noise to her left.  
Spinning round and drawing her weapon ready in her torch beam was a familiar sight.. Flesh dangling, jaw completely exposed, sharp teeth, muscle exposed on over half it's body, even it's spine was showing...  
She didn't need to think twice and immediately shot at the creature causing it to yelp as it's life ended.  
"What was it?" Rebecca grabbed her holstered handgun and aimed it the bloody heap on the floor. "..Cerberus.."  
They both shone their torches back out onto the open field, they were greeted by several pairs of glowing eyes in the distance "RUN!"

They immediately ran into a sprint, not even knowing where they were headed. Claire kept watch behind them as the other frantically searched ahead for safety. The Cerberus were closing...and fast as howls and barks filled the air. How many were there?  
"This way!" Rebecca headed slightly right from where they were originally running, a silhouette of some sort of building was only 100 meters ahead of them..their only escape.  
As they reached the building the Cerberus weren't far behind, claire quickly gave Rebecca a boost as she grabbed the tiles and pulled herself up, quickly spinning round she grabbed claire and began to pull her up.  
Claire was almost there when she felt a sudden surge of weight on her right leg...a cerberus had clamped it's jaws around her ankle...


	3. Mansion

**I don't own Resi franchise or characters**

* * *

"Claire!" Rebecca used all the strength to not let go of her, Claire was trying to shake it off to no avail. All she could do was watch as the struggling woman pointed her gun and shot the animal three times, before it finally let go with a yelp.  
Pulling her up to safety from the now sudden pack of Cerberus the medic quickly rummaged through her first aid pack.

"Rebecca I'm fine"  
"You are? Are you sure?" She glanced down to where the other's torch-light shone. Four puncture holes one on either side just underneath the heel and two at the back of the boot, ripped fabric hung off leaving a hole.  
"Close one huh?.." Claire took a deep breath and removed the boot to show Rebecca that she didn't have any cuts "..Wouldn't say the same for the boot though.."  
In those few moments she thought it was the end, once you get bitten you need an antidote immediatly..which is surprisingly hard to come across in a field. But luckily from the markings on the heel it had no front teeth.

They both looked over the edge to see the pack eyeing them, waiting for them, growling and snarling. Some were even eating the one that was just shot..not a nice sight seeing intestines being pulled and dragged everywhere..  
Claire put her hand over her mouth and looked away "You'd think this would be easier the more times we've done this...it only gets worse.."  
They both surveyed the building next to them, it was big...very big..almost like..  
"A mansion?" Rebecca sighed "Why always a mansion.." She approached their only entrance, a window just within arms reach. Claire gave her a boost for a closer look.  
Through the practically mouldy window was a door and a few desks..no movement.  
"Looks clear" as she broke the window with the butt of her gun and climbed in slowly surveying the area. Properly giving it the all clear she helped Claire through and began to look through anything that might be useful of where they were.  
They searched either side of the room looking through cupboards and drawers. Claire found some papers, quickly scanning the contents, but nothing of any use them.  
"Claire" She turned round to see what the other had found as she was given a piece of paper.

_December 31st 1998_  
_Umbrella hasn't contacted us since the attack on Rockfort. It's probably safe to say they have forgotten about us._  
_We can finally work on our own._  
_They never did care for this site, they gave us all the pathetic tasks no one else wanted to do._

_We've started creating our own, one only to us, The Experimental._  
_How I'd love to see it go up against one of the Tyrants..will no doubt beat it down and out in a couple of hits._

_I'll feel sorry for anyone who gets in its way..._  
_All this thanks to Wesker, he's helped us breakaway and now we are in control.._  
_A new year is dawning now is the time to show umbrella what we really are capable of..._

"A breakaway?..They rebelled against Umbrella? That's pretty bold, knowing the lengths that company can do so easily and quickly"  
"Wesker behind it as well.." Rebecca pulled at a drawer , locked.  
"Here let me" Claire reached into her other side pocket and pulled out a lock pick, slowly twisting, with a sudden jerk the drawer jumped open.  
Inside was what seemed to look like a stone arm..

She picked it up and surveyed it "Some sort of momento?"

Underneath where it had been was a memo.

_All swipe cards now have to have a keycode entered as well, don't forget and don't write it down_  
_Staff with access to basement_  
_-Trevor Yeshat_  
_-Mike Smith_  
_-Richard Trefur_  
_-Michelle Frost_

"Well there's our dead guy outside..now we need the code...let's hope he did write it down somewhere.."  
After they finished rummaging Claire approached the only door in the room and rattled the handle, unlocked.

"Come on, we'd best get moving".  
They slowly moved out of them room, guns drawn, slowly scanning the next area they were in. It was eerily quiet, even the Cerberus pack outside had stopped with their bloody hungry howls..  
A door to the left and a staircase leading to the ground floor on the right.  
"Think we should split up?" Rebecca looked towards the taller woman.  
Claire nods "I'll take this floor, you take the ground floor. Keep radio contact at all times, anything that may provide to be useful let the other know, and if either of us gets into any trouble get out of there immediately if you can. Rebecca nodded as conformation.  
The two of them split, Rebecca cautiously went down the stairs, Claire slowly watched the glow of torchlight slowly vanishing.

Claire turned her attention to the door to her left, cautiously opening and sliding in.  
It was a rather long passageway bending to the left, pictures lining the walls. She only turned round the first corner to hear the familiar shuffle and hungry grown. The torch shone brightly down the corridor, it was most likely waiting around the corner for her..Claire wasn't going to get caught like that again..too many times in Raccoon and Rockfort that happened to her. She aimed her weapon at the oncoming infected and shot twice, but it stayed standing.  
_'What a head shot and it's still standing?'_ She aimed again. Head shot 2 and 3 didn't work either..what was going on?

_'What have they made here?_'  
After the 5th head shot the monster finally went down, only for one more to appear. 6 bullets later it finally went down, she had to almost change the clip already? She quickly scanned the bloody mess on the floor...nothing looked different so what happened?

All she could hope for is that there were stocks of ammo around this place...an armoury would be nice, but this is a mansion not an underground facility like the others.  
_"Claire, can you read me?"_  
She raised her hand to the headset to speak "Go ahead Rebecca"  
_" I've found some sort of key, it has an engraving of a head on it..."_  
"There's a chest here, had a few clips of ammo." She carefully looked round the room "Reminds me of a room in the Spencer Mansion"  
_"Rebecca, listen these infected are a lot stronger than the ones we've faced before"_  
"How so?"  
_"I've almost emptied a clip into two of them, multiple headshots are required, if you can dodge them i'd highly recommend it. They are still slow.."_  
"Understood, a Cerberus took more shots than usual too...what did they do to these? Higher trauma resistance?"  
_"They've done something, that's for sure, just be on your guard, over"_  
Rebecca placed the extra ammo in one of her side packs and left the safe looking room. She returned to a wooden floored corridor, side stepping the Cerberus she killed only moments before. Coming down the stairs she barely made a sound before she saw it charging at her.  
Seems that this rebel group has improved even the basic infected. The corridor bent to the right, only one door in front of her. She reached for the handle and opened it a crack, shining her torch on something on the wall in front of her, it was massive..  
it looked like it had been skinned, all the muscle was exposed..even it's brain, She closed the door in front of her and begin to think.  
_"Exposed muscle, Brain, talons... Lickers"_ .

Lickers, the mutation Claire and Leon fought in the Police Station back in Raccoon.. _"They attack by swiping their talons on the ground or an air attack..also using their tongue"_  
She got back onto the radio "Claire, we've got lickers"  
_"Use your bow gun Rebecca, do not waste your handgun ammo on that thing"_  
"Affirmative, over"  
She holstered her pistol and swung the bow gun off her back, this was going to be a task in itself. They guessed that they've improved resistance on these creatures. If zombies and dogs took more punishment..how much could these take?  
Slowly opening the door she fires her first bolt swiftly followed by a second and third. The licker didn't even twitch and instead moved down further into the corridor. Not only did she have to keep an eye to what it was doing, she also had to dodge several bloody corpses on the floor.  
Firing a couple more bolts the licker finally realised and screamed turning to face her. It lept as high as it could, talon outstretched ready to destroy whatever was in its path, Rebecca leaped to the only clear space behind her only to slip as a tongue wrapped around her ankle.  
She was at its mercy.

Claire walked through the door at the end of the corridor into a more open area. Lights on the wall glowed dimly, so there was electricity in this place. ahead of her were 3 statues a baby, adult and old man, at the other end was a child. She approached  
the door next to the child statue, locked. On the door was an encryption:

'Greatness comes from knowledge, with greatness comes wisdom'

Well there was no card slot or keyhole so it was no doubt electronically locked...she looked back to the statues then to the walls and floor  
"Pressure plates" she sighed, what is with umbrella and puzzles? Surely it was a pain for their staff as well.

She knew what order to put them in,it was simple, but it was just the case of working out which plates were for each statue.  
She looked closer at each stone pillar. Baby in a crib, child at a desk, adult that looks like he's talking and an old man sitting. After giving it a bit of thought Claire pushed the child statue to the plate by the wall, after all desks are usually against a wall. Old man next to the library, but now there were 2 plates in the center.  
She placed the adult on the plate nearest the door, obviously was preaching the knowledge and the baby behind it. To her relief a click was heard and she entered the originally locked room.  
A library? What was the point of keeping this locked? She scanned the books, all just the stereotypical literature Jane Austin, William Shakespeare, Philosophy, Aristotle, Socrates, nothing out of the unusual. Two doors were either side of her, trying the first one  
to find it was locked, an indentation of a head was in the handle.  
Head? Didn't Rebecca say she found a head key? She made a mental note of the door's whereabouts and made her way through the other door on the opposite side, which was partially hidden by a bookcase.  
Little did she know every step she took she was being slowly followed..  
Inside was a very fancy looking desk. Papers piled up neatly, the room surrounded by bookcases crammed with books and folders. Someone's private study? Yet the door wasn't locked..  
She scanned through the pile of papers, nothing of any major importance. No key codes... but some quick diary entries caught her attention.

December 22nd 1998  
I've noticed my computer and files have been tampered with, clearly Umbrella was looking for something. Case notes maybe... do they not seem to realise they'd be at the facility?  
I feel like they are really spying on us, what are they so suspicious of?

December 27th 1998  
I've stopped logging on my computer, they are clearly taking files for what reason I have no idea. We haven't had a breakthrough because they are not giving us the chance to! We are always just told to observe the plant.

December 28th 1998  
An old acquaintance stopped by with a couple of new test subjects said they were a present from Albert. Leaving left us a note too  
'This would be the breakthrough you need to split away from Umbrella. This is the time you surpass them.'

He gave us this chance and we are not going to let him down.

Claire looked carefully "December 28th? The day me and Chris came back from Antarctica..couple of test subjects..one of them had to be Steve.." she turned her attention to the radio.  
"Rebecca come in, over"  
Nothing but static

"Rebecca, come in, over"  
She was concerned that she didn't reply, she knew Rebecca can take care of herself. Just hoping that she was alright, especially after that message about there being a Licker on the loose. She'd give her a bit of time before she would go and search for her.  
Rummaging through the rest of the pile she found nothing more of use. She lock picked the drawers she found handgun ammo - a good quantity of it and a key with an arm etched into the surface.  
Great both of them had a key, things were starting to look up, yet she spoke too soon. The faint sound of tapping was coming from the previous room. There were no clocks and with previous experiences running through her mind tapping wasn't a sound you wanted to hear in an infected building along with moaning, groaning, dragging, clicking, screaming  
..the list was endless.  
She raised her gun as she slowly stepped back through the door, hiding behind the bookcase she turned her head around the corner to see muscles, brains and tongues. Great two lickers were blocking the exit.  
Quietly swapping to the shotgun she readied to shoot when something moist fell onto her arm it was thick and smelt vile, another large amount suddenly fell onto her arm again. She quickly looked up to see another licker, it's tongue tasting the air around her.

It knew she was there and gave a blood thirsty howl.


	4. Discovery

**I don't own Resi or it's characters, you know the usual stuff.**

* * *

Even faced with the fact she might be killed Rebecca continued to shoot the licker.  
_How much more punishment can it take?_

The quiver was emptying at a rapid rate, no monster should be able to take this kind of punishment. Claire had tried to contact her  
but she couldn't lose her concentration with this thing. She was slowly being dragged towards the awaiting talons, how she would have loved to have a grenade at this point..but it might even survive that!  
It was all or nothing, she was being dragged through the half eaten carcasses. Firing the last of her bolts it finally went down, shooting it with a couple of handgun rounds just to be certain.  
She quickly stood and leaned against the wall inhaling whatever oxygen she could find, the smell did not bother her at this time, the only thing that did was her clothes soaked in blood.  
"Great, Claire's going to think I've been bitten...Claire!" She quickly reaches to the com on her radio.  
"Claire, the lickers take a hell of a load of damage, try to avoid them! I'm almost out of bolts!"  
She got no reply. This was bad, the shotgun may be more powerful, but she didn't have an awful lot of ammo for it.

The licker looked like it had a giant hedgehog on it's face..  
Approaching it she tries to pull the bolts out of it's head, some lodged, some snapped but she at least got a few back. She counts the remaining bolts 22 from 50...great discounting the bloody arrows it would have been 10, she was just counting her blessings that she was still alive.  
"There must be an easier way to stop them.."  
She walked up to the door on her right, locked "With a double key hole?" engraved on the handle was an arm and torso "Well at least we have one of those keys.."  
Fully regaining her composure and her heart beating at a much steadier pace she heads through the door slightly further down on the left.  
"Oh hell no.." Groans, shuffles. She walked from a licker to a kitchen of five zombies, no way can she beat these. Luckily there was another door no far away from where she entered.  
Leaping over two counters and dodging three infected she made it out making sure the door was shut tight behind her.  
The familiarities to the Spencer mansion came to her, the corridor she was in was exactly like the one Chris said he found Kenneth's body being devoured by a zombie.  
" I wonder of this means..." She opens a door at the other end and walks through "Dining room"  
The fireplace, the clock, the massive table..it was too much alike.  
Rebecca quickly drew her weapon and scanned the room. The sound of shuffling was echoing, yet nothing was in the room. She slowly raised her weapon above her head to the first floor balcony, Okay so maybe there was something in this room.  
"One...two, three ...four...five..damn" Are they just herding zombies all of a sudden? Why were there so many? And why was that clock not ticking?  
The key was still in the door, she unlocked it fine but the door was jammed. Grabbing one of her bolts she prized it open.  
A huge smile rose on her face "I needed a bit of good news.." Inside was acid rounds, a key with a leg engraved to it and a grenade launcher, no way was she leaving that behind.  
She needed some peace and quiet, and if her memory serves her correctly the next door went straight to the main entrance hall.  
It looked like they just returned to the Spencer mansion. Even to the finest detail it looked like the time she arrived. Thoughts creep into her head of those who died that fateful day, but she pushes her thoughts to the side as she sees a difference behind the main staircase.

Upon closer inspection it looks like a door. She touches the cold stone, in the center is what looks like a person, but there is only an arm and leg..arm. She presses the com on her radio  
"Claire?..."

Claire immediately shot the licker above her head. It showered her with foul-smelling fluid. She shot it again as it finally fell off the ceiling, she dived out the way only to be greeted by the other two lickers.  
She tried to continue shooting, but the sweeping talons were making it difficult. This was the time to head to the door and get out. She picked herself up and ran as fast as she could, suddenly she halted as a tongue wrapped around her leg and threw her into a bookcase at the other side of the room.  
_"Claire, the lickers take a hell of a load of damage, try to avoid them! I'm almost out of bolts!"_  
Rebecca's radio message blasted her back to her senses as she ran for the door again, her adrenaline was at boiling point. She reached it, shooting a licker at point-blank range before sliding through.  
Shutting the door a tongue shot out and wrapped around her neck, it's saliva burned her skin as the grip tightened.  
Struggling to breathe she reached to the knife placed on her left shoulder and stabbed the revolting tongue. The licker screamed but didn't let go. Claire's vision was starting to fade, she raised the blade and sliced falling back and the door shutting with her.  
She threw the cut off to the other side of the room and leaned against the wall opposite the door. She stayed aiming at the door as the lickers screamed in pain and frustration. How glad she was they hadn't mastered the doors yet..  
There she stayed for several minutes unable to move.

_"Claire? Claire do you read me, over"_

"Rebecca! Oh thank goodness you're okay" She was panting hard as her adrenaline dispersed

_"Sorry, the licker was keeping me occupied for a while. You okay? You don't sound it"_

"Yeah, might need a wash, but I'm good."

_"I know what you mean, I might need a change of clothes.. I'm in the main hall. You want me to wait for you?"_

"Please, found some information I need to talk to you about"

_"Okay, oh and Claire that stone arm that we saw when we came in, can you bring it with you. I might have just found out it's purpose"_

"No problem"

_"One more thing, no matter which way you decide to get here there will be five zombies, I came across mine in the kitchen and there are five on the balcony above the dining room"_

"Great...I'll think of a way. Thanks Becs, I'll be there shortly, over and out"

"Okay get the arm thing and find a way past five zombies...piece of cake.." She groaned as she stood, her left shoulder was sore from the way she hit that bookcase. Those lickers are defiantly more powerful and stronger..  
She proceeded back past the statues and into the following corridor, keeping her gun trained on the zombie corpses, if they were feigning she was ready. Back through the door to the corridor where she and Rebecca split up  
"Either way I'm going to be in a confined space with 5 Zombies to watch out for..." She went and picked up the arm piece and continued to the dining room balcony.  
Stepping through she saw all the infected were on her left side, their attention turned to her almost immediately. If she could tempt them altogether she could run the long way round to the door. She shot the one nearest to her to fully get their attention, and it worked...all five lined up, all going to her. Slowly she moved them to the side furthest away from the other door and started to run. Out stepped a zombie that had been waiting for her in the darkness.  
She didn't have time to stop, she barged past, the infected creature grabbed her jacket, but she was running far to fast for it to keep hold. Through the door with ease she quickly walked down the steps of the main entrance.  
"Claire!"  
Relief came to each of their faces.  
"Rebecca, what happened to you?" She scanned the bloodstained clothing.  
"I could say the same to you! I got dragged through a pool of blood.."  
"I got licker guts splattered over me." She laughed.  
They both sat on the stairs as Claire looked over to the other  
"So what did you find?"  
Rebecca rested her head on her hand. "A licker, five Zombies, a dog, a head and leg keys and some handgun ammo, a locked door that required two keys...and this beauty" She tapped the grenade launcher beside her  
Claire was in awe. It looked brand new, she wouldn't mind having it, but from Rebecca's tryst with a licker she needed it more.  
" I found eight zombies, three lickers, handgun ammo, an arm key and a dairy "  
"What did the diary say?" Rebecca looked intrigued  
"Well turns out that these guys received two new test subjects, with a note from who is believed to be Wesker saying that they can now surpass Umbrella...it entry was on the 28th of December..the day me and Chris got back from antarctica."  
"You think one of these new subjects was Steve?"  
"I'm almost certain, we have to get to that facility. Also I found information on the infected here. She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. It's a stronger version of the original Veronica virus, acid and flame are better against them."

"Good thing I found acid rounds with this thing then"

"Defiantly, oh here's the stone arm, what did you need it for?"

"Come with me, I'm hoping my theory works" Rebecca shot to her feet and walked round to behind the staircase "Now this should go here..." They heard a click to symbolise that it was correctly placed

"Looks like we've got to find the rest.." Claire looked at the empty spaces "Head, torso and leg"  
"Well let's get going then! The longer we sit here doing nothing the further away we get from the truth!" Rebecca quick marched to the double doors on the opposite site and opened them.  
"Claire! Take a look at this!"  
Claire rushed to see what she was so excited about. Through the doors was a room just as big as the one they were just in. Coffee machine, vending machines, statues, flowers, paintings, even sofas.  
"Woah, are we still in the mansion!?"  
"It's beautiful!" She walked to a door on the other side "Hey Claire, you have the arm key right?"  
Claire followed and unlocked the door, walking through with their pistols drawn.  
They step into some kind of office, desk strewn with papers and gadgets. Rebecca was already at another door, turning the key she opened to find another office, but this one had its own space with one desk. She approached the computer and turned it on.  
Claire entered swiftly and took a place beside the younger woman. "Password protected?"  
Rebecca nods "Most likely triple protected" She cracks her fingers  
"You can hack into it?"  
"Defiantly, give me time Claire, this has to be the main researcher's computer so it'll hold all information from this place, maybe even the facility"  
Claire nods "Okay, i'll continue exploring the second floor"  
"If memory serves me correctly if you go through that other door in that place it should lead you to another staircase...here" She gives Claire some more handgun ammo and the keys that she found. "Take the grenade launcher, you said it yourself that acid is stronger"  
"Thanks Becs, if you find anything let me know"  
"Will do!" She gives an informal salute and starts tapping away at the keyboard. Claire closes the door and makes her way back into what she has named the waiting room. She opened the last door out of there and stepped through.

* * *

**I'm defiantly a lot happier with this chapter then the previous, and we are now halfway through the mansion (better things in the second half)**

**I'll take this time to thank you guys for reading this story, it's my first attempt at an actual fanfic, my story telling is a bit rough around the edges but yeah, thank you.**


	5. Continued search

**Usual disclaimer.**

* * *

It began to feel like a creepy old mansion again. The corridor was seriously outdated, the wallpaper was peeling awfully badly and the smell of mould filled the air.  
_"Well at least it's better than rotting flesh.."_  
She drew her handgun and cautiously walked through the maze of corridors. Strangely there was no sign or sound of infected. Scouring the empty rooms along the way she found nothing.  
It was like the mansion was suddenly cleared, like all the diseased were never there.  
She spoke too soon when she unlocked the door which lead to a staircase going back up to the second floor. The Zombie was right behind the door, way too close for comfort. She kicked it backwards and began shooting it repeatedly in the head, four shots it only took this time. She jumped over the corpse, just missing out landing on top of another one that was hiding around the corner. She ducked under its reach and jumped to the stairs. Keeping her gun pointed she watched the creature attempt to climb them. After several failed attempts it actually lifted its leg onto the first step, followed by the other.  
_"It's learning the more it's alive!"_  
She shot it back down the steps and killed it. If it was teaching itself then how long would it take them to learn to run? Open a door?  
Thinking more into it made her even more desperate to leave this place.  
Not taking anymore chances she holstered her pistol and grabbed the shotgun as infected congregated in the hallway above.

Several passwords and firewalls later Rebecca successfully hacked into the mansion database.  
Opening the documents folder she scanned each title, looking for anything that would help the situation they were in or about Steve

_Got bit by one of the Veronica infected, luck was on my side and I managed to get the anti-virus in time. _

_Still feel so sick, will have to go have a lay down headache is getting much worse, i've injected myself with more antidote, the skin on my arms are turn grey and blotchy..starting to feel a bit hungry_.

_It's been 6 hours and I keep getting worse..my eyes have shrunk into the sockets, my flesh is rotting...the anti-virus has failed..i've got to isolate myself. I can not be the cause of destruction if I turn, I can't put our work at risk. We've tried so hard and were succeeding. I'll have to sacrifice myself for this project. I'll ask Richard to put me with the Experimental, they can observe the results. I'd rather die knowing I've helped us get closer to perfection._

"So they believed they had the anti virus, only for it to fail, it only slowed the process"  
So no known cure, this is already a powerful virus  
_"Rebecca, these things are learning the more they are alive. One has just taught itself to climb the stairs"_  
Okay, a powerful virus that is still mutating and vastly improving..  
"No anti-virus as well.." Replying to Claire

So the head researcher made a mistake and paid dearly for it, yet he left himself for the 'experimental'. Yes he was a dead man walking, no pun intended, but it seemed he'd rather go through a painful death.. for research purposes.  
She scrolled through the folders and came across one labelled Patients. Opening it there was a fair bit of information, not really that useful.

Claire blew the zombie heads clean off with two headshots, the shotgun was defiantly the required weapon, but she didn't have the best amount of ammo for it.  
Opening the door in front of her she proceeded down a well carpeted corridor, this side of the mansion seemed a lot more cared for then the west wing...more modern.  
The first door on her right was locked, she had the key for it, but decided to wait until she searched everywhere else. The incident with the lickers was bad enough, she didn't want to risk it just yet. She turned to the double doors directly to her left and walked through.  
She was astounded by this room, it looked like a normal family living room, a fireplace, sofas, tv. It felt safe, it felt like home. All her worries just slipped by for a few moments

_"Claire, the learning thing, they found out too..i'll read the message_

_One of the forgotten patients has been alive for eight days now, they were just dismissed as another zombie ready to be executed. I took a look at him, he noticed his surroundings a lot more. Knew what was perspex, what was a wall and what was a door._  
_A patient that could open doors..now that would be a sight, but sadly I have to keep him locked up, it's a shame but we still have a lot more to do with the Veronica Virus. It's a step in the right direction judgement day will be on Umbrella soon enough."_

She looked closely at a file labelled patient observation

0767 - Patient responded well to the first treatment, all signs were positive with minimal side effects. Attempted second stage, died from organ failure.  
1390 - Unresponsive to treatment.  
6612 - Adapted and mutated. Successful.  
0267 - Responding well to treatment, taken samples, continuing observations.  
1127 - Injected existing virus to see how it controls. Monitored life signs, turned within 24 hours  
3499 - Injected mild Veronica Virus, mutated within 12 hours to what was called a Bandersnatch  
5544 - Turned on 8271  
7463 - Showed knowledge within 4 days.  
8271 - Decapitated by 5544  
0086 - First licker experiment, successful  
6099 - Head imploded

She continued _"There is a patient observation document, but it's only numbers and things like one mutated, one died, killed eachother.."_

"Okay Becs, keep looking, there is bound to be something.."  
_"Gotcha, over"_

Claire turned her attention to the two doors, one on each corner. Going through the closest one she opened the door full to see a zombie with its back to her. She slowly walked up behind it, she was ready with her shotgun anyway for when it did turn. But it never did, it didn't sense her? She grabbed its head and quickly twisted it, the sound of bones breaking, the severing of the spinal cord. It fell to the floor in a crumpled mess. She wondered if the zombie was still only a few days old, it know she was there and fell easily. Were these zombies leaked experiments? Did some staff hide and mutate later? These were questions that would probably be never answered.  
She properly looked around the room, not exactly tidy, the walls were lined with beds.  
This must be where the staff stayed, belongings scattered all over the floor. She saw an antique looking chest in the corner, breaking the weak lock she opened it to find some acid rounds, empty casings and some substance in little bottles. She thought it would be best to take them back to Rebecca maybe she could know what the liquid was.  
She proceeded to the other room, quickly opening the door the find no inhabitants. This room had two massive double glass doors viewing out to the field where this mission began. She opened them getting some much-needed fresh air. Scanning the area  
she noticed that the dogs were no where in sight. Daylight was breaking through on the horizon, it was a beautiful sight, one she hadn't experienced much.  
Yet something was a miss...she couldn't put her finger on it, but it was making her VERY uneasy. She saw the torso statue piece just laying there..something important you do not just place on the floor. She quickly turned round the see an infected lunge at her, it was too late to dodge out the way. She fell backwards onto the wooden railing dropping her shotgun, the sheer weight of the infected was pushing her further over. It wouldn't give up, desperate to gorge st the other's flesh, it kept getting closer.  
Underneath the pack of Cerberus returned and waited for a much awaited meal.  
The railing started splintering, creaking under the weight of the scuffle. Seconds later it snapped in half, both Claire and the infected began to fall.


	6. No way out

**Usual disclaimer**

* * *

The zombie fell to its second death, Claire had somehow managed to hold onto the railing beside her. Looking down at the bloodshed below, the Cerberus tore it to shreds. One ran off with a limb, another with a leg as the others ripped the torso apart and feasted on the remaining organs.  
She pulled herself up, picked up her shotgun and the torso piece. Dawn had officially came, the light of the morning sun gave her fresh hope.  
"I'm coming Steve...I'll find you soon"

_"What the hell?"_  
Rebecca tried to make sense of what seemed to be a document..or was it something about mixing chemicals? A code? She had no idea.

_0 - Brown_  
_1 - Purple_  
_2 - Yellow_  
_3 - Red_  
_4 - Green_  
_5 - Orange_  
_6 - White_  
_7 - Blue_  
_8 - Pink_  
_9 - Black_

_When joined together the door will open to protection._

"Open to protection?" She wanted to contact Claire concerning it, but felt like it would waste time. They came here looking for answers about the Veronica Virus, not some colour chart.

Claire had one last door to check, unlocking it with the leg key and holding her shotgun tight she slowly walks through and looks to her left. In the corner a monster stood staring at her.  
Human sized head, waist and legs. It's chest was double the size it should usually have been. The arm, long and folded on the floor.. She leapt out of the way as it lunged for her. No doubt she knew what it was, facing it several times before nearly getting killed by one, if it weren't for Steve, a Bandersnatch.  
She hoped she would never have to face another one of these, but who was she kidding? This is the Veronica Virus. Quickly swapping the shotgun for the grenade launcher she was taking no chances. These things were hard to beat before, now they were back, even stronger.  
It reached for her once again missing her head by inches, its arm continued past her and broke through the wall behind. Claire wasn't going to give it another chance to attack and fired off acid round after acid round, it flinched but didn't stop. Running out of rounds she swapped to the shotgun, as it was walking towards her. She fired all she could before having to run out of the way again, only this time an arm blocked her way and pushed her back.  
_"What? Did it just grow another arm?!"_  
She really had no escape this time, it grabbed her face and lifted her up into the air. She could feel the pressure being slowly forced around her skull. She knew this time her knight in shining armour wasn't going to appear to save the day.  
_"No I can't die here, Steve is counting on me!"_ She raised her shotgun to the monster's head and fired at point-blank range.  
Suddenly she fell to the floor as the Bandersnatch staggered back throwing its arms in all directions. It's head was all over the floor. It tore a large hole in the wall where it smashed into earlier and slumped against the rubble.  
She stared at it, all the memories of Rockfort came flooding back. As that creature cornered her with all her heart she hoped that Steve would just burst through that door and save the day once again, followed by come cocky or cheesy remark, she really, really hoped..just to see that smile again..

Claire snapped back to reality and wiped a tear that was slowly falling down her cheek.  
She examined the destruction of the room and was about to leave when she saw what seemed like another room hiding behind the damaged wall.  
Inside was just a grand piano and some pictures on the wall, nothing out of the unusual apart from the fact the room was completely sealed off with no way of getting in. Looking carefully at the paintings she didn't see a pattern like the statues from the library, it was just a mixture of landscape and still life, even searching behind each one came up with nothing.  
The curiosity of this room lead her to the grand piano in the center, nothing unusual, engraved on it was the make and model number. She lifted the top and propped it up, it looked like a normal piano she tested a few keys, it played the correct notes.

"Becs, what do you know about pianos?"  
_"I've had my experiences, why do you ask?"_  
"When I was fighting a Bandersnatch it punched through a wall and this room appeared. Thing is it looks like just a normal room with a piano."  
_"Well maybe it is"_  
"But it was sealed off...hang on.. are the piano strings usually coloured?"  
_"A silver or gold colour, but that is it"_  
"There are ten strings that are different colours"

Rebecca thought for a moment "Hang on a sec"  
She re opened a file she came across not so long ago "Claire, did you say ten strings?"  
_"Yes"_  
" Brown, purple, yellow, red, green, orange, white, blue, pink and black?"  
_"Yes, but not in that order, you know something?"_  
" I've come across something which I thought was a chart for mixing chemicals, but when you said ten different colours it makes sense. But the ones in front of me are ordered zero to nine... I'm thinking that there is some sort of code that you need to press the relevant keys to."  
_"I'm not walking into any more traps am I?"_ Claire sounded worried  
"I don't believe so, underneath it says 'When joined together the door will open to protection'. Sounds like a secret room leading to a secret door to me."  
_"So what do I press?"_  
"That I don't have a clue, you haven't come across any numbers in a note or is there any clue in that area?"

Claire looked around the room, the paintings where full of colours, nothing that could help them. No numbers on the back, no clues.  
"The only numbers in here are the piano make model"  
_"What numbers are they?"_  
"243-4180-42536901-8"  
_"Let see..yellow, green, red, green, purple, pink, brown, green, yellow, orange, red, white, black, brown, purple, pink."_  
Claire played the relevant key as the colours were read out, she waited for something to happen.  
_"Well?"_  
"Nothing"  
_"Okay well there was a dash in between some of the numbers so press yellow, green and red together, then green, purple, pink, brown, followed by green, yellow, orange, red, white, black, brown and purple. Then finally press pink on its own"_  
There was a rumble and a side wall disappeared. Claire's eyes widened with amazement  
"Becs, I've found the leg piece..and.. you need to see this.."  
_"Okay, I'll be up in a sec, over"_

Rebecca raced up the main stairs and followed Claire's voice to her whereabouts. Entering the original room she saw the Bandersnatch and just froze staring.  
"Becs?" Claire pokes her head into the room seeing her surveying the blood, mess and the remains of the Veronica monster. "Hey, over here"  
Rebecca slowly followed her not taking the eyes off the thing until she entered the hidden room, immediately freezing again when she saw what was in front of her.  
Weapons, assault rifle, shotgun, grenade launcher, magnum, pistols and bow gun all complete with ammo, not much mind but the sight...  
_"The door will open to protection.."_ It's not exactly what she had in mind, but she wasn't complaining.  
Of course no matter how much they wanted to they couldn't take everything. Filling up their stocks of acid, flame rounds and shotgun shells, they felt no need to fill up on handgun bullets, it wasn't providing much use to them anyway. Claire took the secondary grenade launcher and strapped it to her back.  
"Claire, there are a few things I need to show you from that database" The other nodded as they proceeded back to the offices, placing the stone pieces in the plate behind the main stair case as they went.  
"Just the head to find" Claire smiled, soon they could hopefully get out of this place and closer to Steve.  
Rebecca sat back down at the computer as Claire leaned beside her.  
"We know that the virus has been mutating and has improved greatly and that after a large amount of time they learn and get stronger, depending on the age of the infected. On the dining room balcony there is a chance they may know how to run now..  
We need to deal with them as soon as possible..as well as the lickers in the library. The longer we leave them the worse they will become.." She opens a large drawer at the bottom of the desk and pulls out some jars of liquid.  
"Being nosey does have its advantages..like finding poisonous chemicals in sealed jars" She smiled "I could easily create some nasty stuff for them, but it's risky, mixing these chemicals could be catastrophic and we can't just throw the jars in, it's too much and will gas the entire place"  
Claire pulls out a little bag that had some smaller jars in and some sort of casings and handed it to her. Rebecca's eyes widened.  
"Claire...these casings break on impact when they are full..like.. a water bomb.." She looks closer "They even have separate compartments! How did you find these?"  
Claire smiled "I found them in a locked chest in one of the dorms."  
Rebecca pulls out several syringes and fills the casings carefully with different chemicals.  
Once she finished and lined them on the desk she shifted her attention back to the computer.  
"These patient records, it only talks about their mutation and effects, but 3 ..experiments..people? Anyway they show up a lot and shows they were transferred to the facility from here"  
She pulls up all the files concerning the three people and Claire scans through them.  
"0267.."  
"You recognise it?"  
"0267 was Steve's prisoner number on Rockfort...he's at that facility...this can't be a coincidence" Their mission was looking more and more hopeful to find him.  
"There's one more thing, we've got all but the head piece for that statue thing.." She opens another file

_Had to move the head statue piece from its original location, I haven't found a new place..I'll have to move some literature to make room._

"That's why we need to destroy whatever is left in this place."  
"You think it's in the library? Well I guess it's the main place to look.." Claire picked up the poisonous bombs and headed to the door. "I'll be back with it before you know it"

Rebecca watched her leave. She looked back at the screen at the patient reports "..0267", she saw the look in Claire's eyes full of happiness, hope. It gave her a boost of determination to help her find him.  
Suddenly insanely loud screams were heard _"That seems to be the lickers dealt with"_  
Never did Rebecca guess her skills in chemistry would come to so much use.

The library was well ventilated so Claire didn't have to wait long to go inside, it was such a sight to see three dead lickers all crumpled on the floor, she didn't want to face them again.  
She rushed to the previously locked door and used the head key. Inside a large brown chest greeted her, opening it she found nothing. Slamming the lid down in frustration she searched all the bookcases in the library, even turning the private study upside down.

_"Becs, it isn't here!"_

"Okay, I'll search the east wing. Sort the dining room Zombies first, then come back to that area later,over"  
So it wasn't in the place she hoped it would be and she couldn't search the west wing until the poison had cleared. Claire was in a harder situation, the only way out of the west wing was through the dining room, she'd be stuck for a while. It was up to her to search the rest of the mansion.  
_"Okay Dining room done, I'll leave the rest to you for now.."_

Rebecca grabbed the grenade launcher and was about to rush out of the office door when she had a thought.  
_I haven't found a new place...move literature._  
She turned to the small cabinet behind her "He hadn't found a new place.." She slowly moved the small amount of books that were on the bottom shelf, nothing.  
"He hadn't found a new place, it was either here or that study..." She reached to her radio "Claire, go back to the study and try to move the bookcases, he moved literature, he didn't move the books he moved the case"  
_"Better then standing here doing nothing, i'll go check"_ Minutes passed by when she got a reply. _"Nothing, most of these are fixed to the wall, and the ones that can move have nothing behind or underneath them"_  
Rebecca fully emptied the cabinet in the office and pulled it away from the wall. There it covered a small hole... with the head-piece in.  
"Claire I've found it! I'll meet you at the staircase, we are almost there!"  
_"I shouldn't be too much longer, then we can get out of here"._ Excitement was in both their voices. Finally they could leave this place.

Rebecca arrived and placed the final piece of the puzzle into it's accustomed slot, the door clicked loudly and opened slightly. She raised her weapon waiting for something to jump out, but nothing did. She could hear what seemed to be machinery, opening  
the door a bit further she poked her head in and saw wires and equipment all neatly arranged along one side of the wall. With no sign of life she walked in a bit further to investigate more, Claire wouldn't mind. The room was dark, but a light from around what looked like a containment tube gave off a yellow glow, a door was straight a head. The basement seemed bigger then the mansion itself. Generators are all over the place..the power that must be needed down here. The walls were damp and covered in mould, the smell was overpowering. Inside the tube was something she'd never seen before, it's eyes were closed, but it still creeped her out. She turned to look at the monitors behind her.  
"Life signs... all read as a human? This thing was a human?" It wasn't a Tyrant, that's for sure, she began to read a note that was placed underneath

_This is finally the time, finally no more being Umbrella's pawns. _  
_The Veronica Virus in all it's glory._  
_Behold its beauty._  
_Behold, The Experimental_

Rebecca's eyes widen with fear, "_T__his thing is The Experimental?"_. She quickly turned round to see its eyes were snapped open, staring right at her, it looked more menacing than anything she had ever fought before, running back to the door, back to the mansion, to her horror it was closed and sealed.  
She was trapped and panicking.  
"Claire! Claire! Come in!"  
No reply from her radio.

"Claire please! Claire come in i'm trapped! I need help!"

Her breathing became rapid and short. Her back was against the door, no escape. She'd never been so afraid in her life.

All she could do was watch the monster smashing its way out of the tube. It leapt out, stood tall, its dark eyes fixated on Rebecca.

With no where to go she raised her weapon, trembling with fear..

* * *

**Blimy, this one took some time to do.. as we are coming near the end of the mansion it's time for the big boss fight.**


	7. Goodbye

**The usual disclaimer**

* * *

She was on her own, her escape route blocked. The door on the opposite side required a key card and code. In front of her was the heart of the Umbrella rebellion The Experimental.  
It had to be around seven-foot tall, but was defiantly skinnier then the Tyrant and just as pale. It stood there, staring deep into her.  
Rebecca, fuelled by fear, fired an acid round towards its head. Direct hit, but it didn't flinch. She fired again and again and still got no reaction. She ran, she couldn't be cornered. The monster watched her and followed her, it was fast and appeared in front of her.

_Is it toying with me?_

The Experimental took a few steps back and crouched into a ball, Rebecca took this time to fire more acid rounds at the creature, just hoping that it was doing some damage. She wasn't going down without a fight, no matter how scared she was.

It started rising again, this time with a piercing scream as it outstretched its arms and started transforming.  
A sudden surge of white spikes shot out from under its skin, from the shoulders to its knees, every joint possible became a weapon. The ribcage punctured through, leaving a gaping hole in the center of the torso, twisting the bones round and connecting them back in the middle. Every vertebrae became a spike, it was then she realised that these were its own bones. She continued firing as the monster raised its arms behind and lunge at her, spinning. Rebecca dived to the side, it's speed was insane with barely any reaction time to move. Rising to her feet she noticed it had no control of what direction to go in, straight. She shot more rounds before it readied another attack, Rebecca dived again believing she dodged once more. Her back suddenly felt lighter than usual..when she got to her feet she suddenly saw what happened. The back of her bullet proof vest was ripped to shreds as it lay on the floor.  
The Experimental was slowly walking towards her when it gave a loud growl as it's ribcage opened. Rebecca took the chance and changed from acid to flame rounds, aiming one straight into the exposed hole.

Claire was finally able to walk along the dining room balcony all six zombies scattered and lifeless along the way. Opening the main hall doors and walking along the walkway leading to the steps she happily cheered.  
"Right Becs, let's get this show on the road! Sorry for making you wait"  
She made her way down the main steps and walked around them to find Rebecca no where in sight.

"Becs?" Receiving no reply she looked around the main hall again, it was eerily quiet "Becs?" Thinking she just went somewhere to pass the time she called her on the radio  
"Hey Becs, I'm at the statue door, where are you?" She waited for a minute to still receive no reply.  
This defiantly wasn't like Rebecca, something was clearly wrong. She walked back to the statue door to see that the head had been placed in its corrosponding slot. Pushing and Pulling the door didn't work..shoulder barging didn't work. What was going on? That's when she heard a piercing scream..

"Got it!" Rebecca was relieved that the monster finally shown some pain after the barrage of grenade rounds fired at it "So the chest is the weak spot.."  
Her hopes of ending this quickly were dashed when the chest cavity closed once again as the smell of burnt flesh overpowered the damp. She glanced at back at her shredded armour and ran. She was getting used to the signs of its spinning strike, once it was focused it couldn't change direction before launch. After seeing the damage it's already done, even a non direct hit could prove costly.  
The only problem is with all the running and dodging, Rebecca was getting tired and slowing, The Experimental was not.

She was dodging, running and shooting. It seemed to last forever. She ran out of acid rounds a while back and was starting to run low on flame ones. Now when it attacked her she had to dodge debris as well, metal from the generators flew in the air, embedding itself in the walls, floor and ceiling. The attack came once again, there was no stopping it, she was almost admitting defeat. She dived out the way to suddenly scream in agony. Looking down to her side a shard of metal had embedded itself into her side and pierced the way through and poked out the other side.

A lone figure roaming the sewers heard Rebecca's scream and raced to where the sound had come from.

The monster was slowly walking to her now, it clearly sensed her time was up, and she knew it herself. Holding her side she gradually got to her feet and tried to run, only lasting a few strides before she fell to her knees again, the pain was too much. Trying a first aid spray just to numb the pain didn't work, the shard had to come out, but she didn't have the energy to do it, her sight was starting to go blurry too. Pushing herself up she lent against the wall firing the last of the flame rounds, that's it, she was out of ammo. The Pistol would be completely useless, but she reached for it anyway.  
_'Huh?...w-..where did it go?'_

The Element just stopped and watched her, it was mocking her, letting her struggle.  
Rebecca staggered to the shredded vest and pulled out the gun and started firing. Clip after Clip, it was doing nothing, she threw the gun at it and stood boldly against the wall, waiting for the inevitable.

_Claire, I'm sorry. Looks like I won't be able to help you find Steve after all. _  
_I would have loved to see your face if we did, I think it would have been priceless..crying your eyes out I bet._

She chuckles as the monster moves ever closer

_I did good didn't I Forrest? Kenneth? Richard? Enrico? Looks like I'll be finally re joining the S.T.A.R.S Bravo team..just like old times.._  
_I wish I could have helped you in that mansion, maybe you'd all be alive today..helping us defeat Umbrella._

A sudden charge and the Experiment suddenly body slams into her. More agony as she felt at least 2 ribs crack..it was toying with her.  
Picking her up by the throat it held her in the air and threw her across the room like a rag doll. Completely out of strength all Rebecca could do was lay there, waiting for it to stop and her life to end.

_I'm okay...Of course I fear death, but..there's no other way out for me now. _  
_Claire's going to be on her own._  
_Chris would have to tease someone else, ha, none of the other girls would put up with that!_

Her head filled with happy memories as The Experimental continued to toy with her, dragging her across the uneven floor, cutting open her cheek, slowly leaving a blood trail to her as she was once against thrown.

_Meeting Billy on that train...Part of me always thought he wasn't a killer...of innocent people anyway._  
_He was so kind, and looked out for me.._  
_It's a shame i'll never see him again.._  
_I've met so many amazing people. _  
_Yet here I am, slowly dying...reduced to a play thing.._

The monster lifted her head and started parting the cut on her cheek, gradually ripping the flesh surrounding the original wound. She felt the blood falling down off her chin and staining her clothes. The fabric around the metal shard was sticking to her body making some sort of compression to stem the bleeding.

The person in the sewer found the correct ladder and climbed to look through the grate in the wall. Patches of blood and debris strewn all over the place. In a corner not far from where they were was what looked like...well a tall, pale monster. It was crouched over what looked like a body, they were about to descend back down the ladder and continue their getaway when the monster caught their eye.

Rebecca was now a fairly bloody mess. Sight going and dizziness starting to set in. Defiantly not much hope for her anymore. She was grabbed by the throat and held up against the wall, her half-open eyes were looking straight into the Experimental's.

_Well guys, I think it's time I should be going. _  
_I got nothing left in me to fight_  
_Claire, I hope you find Steve_  
_I hope all you guys take down Umbrella, for me, for the S.T.A.R.S decesed, _  
_for the people of Raccoon..fight on.._

The monster placed its fingers over the top of her eyes and slowly pushed in.

Claire leaned against the wall, unable to do nothing. She heard the grenade shots, the screaming, and then silence..It was clear at least one of those screams was Rebecca. She was in danger and there was nothing she could do, she tried everything to pry that door open. She just hoped Rebecca was alright.

A Loud boom filled the basement, no doubt Claire even heard it outside. The Experimental stopped what it was doing to Rebecca and looked towards what looked like a new play thing. The lone person had seen enough and burst through the grate firing off a powerful shot towards the monster.

The noise even awoke Rebecca from her trance, she couldn't see who it was, she tried to look but the monster holding her up was having none of it. This face was close to hers as another shot was fired, it gave a slight growl, turned to the assailant and threw Rebecca across the room. She hit the wall hard.  
She managed to see her rescuer, but darkness was surrounding her fast, she wasn't going to last much longer.

_Everyone...thank you.._

With her last thought darkness consumed her...

The assailant continued the onslaught firing round after round, until the gun was empty, swapping to an assault rifle around the shoulder. The Monster fell to its knee, as the bullet assault continued. Assault Rifle empty, swapping to a shotgun.  
The thing lunged and grabbed the lone person. The chest cavity opened once again ready to consume, only to have something green shoved in there instead. One was forced into it's mouth. with disgust and not knowing what the items were the grip loosened and the assailant kicked out of the grab and ran to cover the lifeless body on the ground.

There was a mighty boom, the whole mansion shook. Claire was already massively worried now this just tipped her over the edge, she was about to try the door again when it burst open. Out appeared Rebecca in some strangers arms.  
"Please tell me this place has syringes!"  
Claire was shocked, there wasn't anyone else around here, so where did this person come from.  
"Syringes!"  
Claire was snapped out of her thought, slamming the door shut and taking one of the body pieces. "This way"  
She led the stranger to the office where Rebecca had made the poison bombs. Placing the computer on the floor the other person brushed the rest of the desk and placed a very pale Rebecca on top.  
Claire gave the unknown person any spare, unopened syringes. Quickly taking them and unwrapping a couple, they reached into their bag and pulled out some small medicine bottles, measured, lifting her shirt just above the metal shard and injected Rebecca several times around the wound.  
Her rescuer washed and dried their hands with a bottle of water, and began to slowly pull the shard out.  
"Who are you?" Claire's voice broke the silence  
"I need you to place a dressing underneath her where the shard tried to exit..in my bag"  
Claire quickly pulled out several dressings, unwrapping one and placing it just above Rebecca's hip.  
"Okay when I pull this out you need to apply immediate pressure"  
Claire nods and unwraps another dressing. As the shard was finally removed after a few more agonising seconds Claire quickly applied pressure, whilst the stranger went back into his back, pulling out another bottle of water, a needle and surgical thread.  
"Never thought I'd actually be needing this..."  
Signalling Claire to remove the pad he poured water on to clean the wound and began to sew it up on either side. Applying a clean dressing the wound was fully wrapped up.  
"The cut on her cheek will be fine as it is, might leave a little scar"  
Claire placed a smaller dressing to the cheek and taped either side.  
"You still haven't told me who you are.."  
"Don't worry, I'm on your side, let's just say I-...no...don't you dare.." They looked at Rebecca and felt the wrist and neck, placing a cheek just above her mouth "..Shit, she's not breathing!"  
Her rescuer began chest compressions, Claire kept checking for a pulse and any signs of breathing  
"After all this... don't you dare give up on me now..."  
All Claire cound do was watch as the stranger carried on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation...


	8. Remembered

**Usual disclaimer**

* * *

Claire was curled up next to the wall, her head resting on her knees, trying to make sense of the situation. Why did Rebecca go in there on her own? Where did that other person come from? What was going to happen now? A voice startled her.  
"You know there is a perfectly good couch over there?"  
Claire looked up to see the figure in the doorway, arm outstretched to give her a hand back to her feet.  
"With all this death surrounding us and what we've been through..when something like this happens...it's.." She couldn't find the words, the sight of Rebecca dying on that desk was just too much, the injuries that were sustained, the look on her face.. she silently cried as a sympathetic hand rested on her shoulder.  
"C'mon, you know what Rebecca would be like if she saw you now? Claire Redfield crying over her? It'll be the shock of the century"  
Claire turned to the sympathetic figure "How do you know who I am?"  
"You're on ' Top list of people Umbrella want exterminated', along with the remaining S.T.A.R.S, Carlos Olivera, Leon S Kennedy and Sherry Birkin. Heck even my name is still on there even though I doubt anyone else apart from Rebecca and Umbrella would know that."  
Claire quickly looked the other in the eye "Are you..Billy?" He just gave me her a slight nod."That explains why you were so determined to save her.."  
"After we escaped the Arklay labs she saved me being hunted down by the military, even her comrades."  
"So how did you get here? We found out about this place only a month ago from another facility."  
Billy scratched his head "I... kinda got captured..by Umbrella nearly 6 months ago. Sent to Rockford prison awaiting some sick death sentence of theirs, but a couple of weeks later I was suddenly transferred to an underground prison. Prisoners came and went, never saw them again. My cellmate was a guy who got caught giving Umbrella information concerning one of their scientists."  
"Hang on.." Claire suddenly interrupted "...giving Umbrella information, and being imprisoned for it?"  
"Don't know either, I didn't have time to speak to him. A guy in a black uniform came and collected him as soon as I arrived."  
"When you were at Rockford, did... you know a guy called Steve? His number was 0267?" Claire's hopes were dashed just by seeing him shake his head.  
"I was in solitary confinement, guessed they realised what a danger i'd be if I got with the other inmates...anyway enough about me, what's your story? Why were you and Rebecca here?"  
Claire was hesitant at first, but Rebecca would have told him, she trusted him.  
"What you probably don't know about Rockford was that it was destroyed 5 months ago. I was also captured and taken there, but the Island got attacked. Me and Steve helped each other escape the island, but we were sent to Antarctica where me and my brother Chris escaped..Steve was captured and injected with the Veronica Virus and died. We originally came here to investigate intel about the Veronica Virus being used here, only we found proof that Steve was brought here by Wesker, who was probably the guy in the black uniform..slicked back blonde hair, sunglasses?" Billy nodded "Steve was the sole container for the Veronica Virus, which the facility has improved and has caused what you've seen here, it mutates, gives monsters higher resistance. The older it is, the more chance it has to learn the basics of running, climbing stairs and even opening doors...hang on...how did you escape from the prison?"  
"The electronically locked doors were released. I ran straight to their supplies, Got whatever I could and ran into the sewers...I was in that sewer for 3 days till I got here."  
Claire could tell Billy wasn't exactly comfortable talking to her. Yes he may have survived the Arklay labs but Claire was still a total stranger, even she didn't talk much about herself to Leon and Steve apart from her brother. She decided to drop the subject and go back looking through pieces of paper that were scattered over the floor.  
"So what are you going to do now?"  
Claire looked back "Try and get as much information on that facility as I can get and then...head off there.."  
"On your own?"  
Claire nods, "I need to find Steve, I need answers and the facility needs to be shut down...for good."  
Billy stands and stretches "We'll talk about it later, for now let's get some rest" He walks towards the first dorm room Claire searched. They threw the zombie out of the window, no use it staying inside smelling the place out.  
Claire went back to the stack of papers in front of her "First Steve, now Becs...how many more have to suffer.."

Billy didn't get the best night's sleep, any sound he heard he shot straight of bed gun drawn. The effects of the horrors he has been in kept him on the edge  
it was getting rather tiring..Walking back into the fireplace room to see Claire sleeping awkwardly on the sofa. SHaking his head he carried her to the dorm room giving her some hope of waking without a bad back.  
He decided to go and explore the mansion, Claire had said that they'd scoured the entire place and cleared it of any infected. Billy grabbed his magnum and bullets just to be on the safe side, he'd be back before she woke.  
With the gun relaxed in his hands beside him he ventured down the main stair case and decided to start with the offices. immediately walking into the main researchers to the bloodstained desk...there he stayed for sometime before he finally re collected his thoughts and began looking through the books and files that were scattered along the floor. Staff information, he didn't recognise any names or faces apart from one...Samuel Regan.  
"What the hell was he doing here?"  
Samuel Regan was the base commander back in Africa, he was the one that put him under court marshall, the one who didn't listen to reason when Billy protested his innocence to the brutal killings of that village..framed by his commanding officer he and Regan clearly had it in for him and it was the perfect excuse to dispose of him. He ripped the page out from its binding and threw the book at the wall. Stuffing the piece in his back pocket the searched through several patient files.  
So many people..he knew the faces of some from the prison.  
"6612...Gareth Hytem" The man from the prison, they guy he knew all of 10 minutes before he was taken away..he was brought to the facility. He continued looking through each file. Page after page..how many of them have died..or partially died, roaming the halls in a brain-dead state, hungry for flesh.  
"0267...Steve Burnside, is this the guy she's looking for?" He remembered seeing CLaire scanning through pages all with 0267 mentioned a fair bit, whether it  
was patient reports or Virus reports. "Doesn't look anything special, but no doubt she'll want to see this.." He carefully ripped it out,  
placing it into the pocket with the other profile. He got up to leave, he was going to take the computer up to the dorm later, he needed more information, not being able to do it in that room...not with Rebecca's blood all over the place.  
Knowing there was nothing else in the east wing first floor he proceeded to the west, opening the door to the dining room the stench of decaying bodies hit him like a wall. It was putrid, he'd rather be still in the sewers. Rushing through and opening the door to a fairly long corridor with another door at the end.  
He stopped halfway down when he heard a noise_ "What the hell was that?"_ Drawing his gun to fire he slowly continued. The sound was coming from the room at the end of the hall, it didn't sound like a zombie. He didn't get much further when the door burst open. Billy took a few steps back, ready to fire, but couldn't believe what he saw next...

Three loud shots rattled throughout the building. Claire shot up from her sleep immediately reaching for her pistol, quickly looking around the darkness the room was clear, but she didn't even remember falling asleep here.  
"Billy?" He wasn't there.  
She walked into the fireplace room to find the pages that were once scattered all over the place in neat piles, but still no sign of Billy. It did concern her, but  
she didn't dare leave the room. If she went to look for him they could mistake each other for an infected. Two more loud shots were heard following a low beeping noise. It was somewhere in the room, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.  
_"Claire...Claire"_  
It was her radio, she quickly rushed to place it over her ear and pressed the intercom.  
"I'm here"  
_"Sorry, that must have woken you up.."_ Billy had Rebecca's radio _"I thought i'd explore the place, see if I could find anything else"_  
"What did you find?"  
_"...some paperwork...and infected"_  
"Infected?" Claire was startled, how did more infected get inside? Then she remembered "Shit...the kitchen...I'm so sorry Billy are you hurt?"  
_"Nah I'm fine, but the infected, were they Zombies?"_  
"According to Becs, yeah, they were slow"  
_"Not anymore, they were opening doors and running at me."_  
Claire was taken back. Her and Rebecca forgot about the kitchen, they had their minds set on the escape of the mansion they forgot to take care of them. If it wasn't for Billy they could have ran round the mansion, found them and maybe even killed them.  
_"You still there?"_  
"Yeah, I'm so sorry Billy, me and Becs should have dealt with them"  
_"No worries, what's done is done. I went through the kitchen and found a door that is still locked, two keys are required..looks like a torso and arm..I've got the torso from the basement when I got Rebecca"_  
"I've got the arm key"  
_"Okay when I'm finished around here I'll be right up, over and out"_  
A huge cloud of guilt hung over her. They completely forgot about the ground floor kitchen in all the drama of looking for the head-piece, she only poisoned the  
lickers in the library and infected on the balcony.

Billy returned after another hour and fell to the sofa needing rest. The running infected shook him up, not obvious to anyone else of course. CLaire walked back in from the dorm.  
"What did you find?" She watched as billy pulled out a folded piece of paper and handing it to her. Slowly opening it, her eyes scanning the page "Steve..."  
"It's not much, but I thought you'd want to see it.."  
Her eyes glided the page over and over, 0267 was his patient number, not just his prison number it wasn't a coincidence.  
"Deceased upon arrival...immediate statis chamber...showed signs of life.." Up in the top right hand side of the page was a profile picture of him.  
"That buzz cut really doesn't suit him.." Her finger slid over the photo.  
"No doubt they did that since they were doing so many tests on him, never know, but there is no telling how long ago that photo was taken, or even if he is alive anymore. You got the arm key? I'll go check that room out."

Claire handed the key over to him "I'll keep my radio on, let me know what you find." She watched as Billy walked back out the door and turned back to the piece of paper in her hand. She couldn't believe her eyes, there was Steve alive. It made her more determined to get to the facility.

Billy returned to the double locked door and turned both keys in their acquired lock. Shoving the door wide open scanning the room with his gun, all clear. one computer on a fancy looking desk in the middle, pictures and plants lining the walls. This seemed to be the only room in the west wing that was modernised, brightly coloured, had no windows, but even if it did no one would want to see those ghastly corridors.

He sat down at the computer not able to get very far. He couldn't hack to save his life. He put his ear to the intercom "Hey Claire, you know how to hack computers?"

"Sadly no, Rebecca did all the hacking."

He looked to the drawers and pulled them, locked. He decided to take his frustration out on them forcing each one open, searching through the messed contents on the floor he found nothing of any use to them. He stared at the computer once more, knowing what they needed had to be on it. Until they found out what, they were stuck.

* * *

**I wanted to really drag the fact that it was Billy, but it's not really a surprise when I put his name in the Character list *face palm***

**Sorry this one seems to drag.**

**Just want to take this opportunity to say thank you for the kind words and reviews, it gives me a massive confidence boost and gets me pumped to get the next chapter out .So to you guys, thank you so much.**


	9. The one who was saved

**Usual disclaimer**

* * *

Billy abandoned the office, there was no point staying there if he couldn't access the computer. Instead he returned to the main researchers office to take that computer back to the dorm, hopefully it was the last time he saw that room, too many bad memories already.  
Walking back into the fireplace room to find the entire floor scattered with paper "Geez what's wrong with piles?"  
"I'm putting them in some sort of date order and working from that. From the first mentions of being infected, and the gradual reports of Steve's condition. I know there is quite a bit of information on that computer so I'll take notes from it later."  
"So you're basically getting the info you originally came her for and then collecting info on lover boy. Good luck with that.." He shook his head and carried the computer into the dorm room.  
Claire glared at him as he left "Becs, you forgot to mention he's an asshole.." But she did kind of believe he was acting like this because of Rebecca, "It must be hard finally reuniting with someone after all those two had been through only to see her mauled right in front of your eyes, yet alone dying.."

Billy at least got some privacy to check up on Regan.

_Samuel Regan, Military_.  
_Understudy of William Birkin, scientis.t_

_Joined Umbrella 1992, after the untimely death of Colonel Harold Green_.  
_Also liason to Albert Wesker concerting police and military affairs_.

"Great, so the military and the police were both hiding secrets.." He continued looking through the files.

Last Report

_The Arklay labs will be getting a new test subject, Second Lieutenant Billy Coen, by the request of Albert Wesker._  
_For advanced tests on the T-Virus and observation_.

Billy gritted his teeth. It was an even bigger set up then what he had imagined, his superior ordered the killing of innocents, no doubt under orders from Regan.  
But what threat was he to them to have him take the blame? The fact that he was even associated with this place meant that Billy couldn't leave, he didn't want to anyway. He couldn't leave Claire to attack the facility on her own.  
Browsing through the files in hope of some pass code that could help them he came across the patient files, which Claire and Rebecca had seen before.

_6612 - Adapted and mutated. Successful._  
_0267 - Responding well to treatment, taken samples, continuing observations._

He followed the two numbers through the endless pages,

_6612 - Given it a secondary boost of Veronica_  
_0267 - Awake, speaking, but attacked staff. Confined back to cell_

_0267 - given relaxant, finally co operating_  
_6612 - grown an extra 2 foot, transferred to basement capsule_

_6612 - was released when head researcher sacrificed himself to him, observing attacking data_

_6612 - Killed him in 5 minutes, showed signs of cruelty, toying with the subject_  
_0267 - Trying frequently to escape, has killed several researchers. Keeping him in confined cell until no longer required._

"Shit.." Billy gritted his teeth once more '_Cell mate was the experimental..killed in 5 minutes...I hope you gave him hell Rebecca..'._ "Hey Claire!"  
"What's up?" She quickly walked through the door and kneeled beside him looking at the monitor.  
Billy pointed to the numbers on certain sections.  
"We never saw any of those updates apart from the first one..." She smiled as she saw clear proof that Steve was once again alive.  
"These were placed hidden in pointless files, basic infected observations"  
"You think they were hidden so Umbrella would have thought nothing of these files?"  
"There is a chance Umbrella doesn't know all the details, but look it also says 'Until no longer required'. Claire, he could be dead for all you know.."  
"I've got to go there anyway, whether he is alive or not is a different matter, but I won't properly find out until I get there."

* * *

Two days had passed. It was irritating them still being stuck in the mansion, every minute that passed by infected were continuing to mutate. Every number code they could find was entered into the key pad with the identity card back in the basement to no avail. They needed to access that last computer, but goodness knows what would happen if they tried to. What would happen if they entered failed passwords? Infected attacks? Deleted data? Neither of them wanted to risk it.  
Billy went to go look through all the pages of every book and file they could find as Claire searched the computer once more.  
_"We can't go back until this place is destroyed and we can't go forward because of a stupid door.."_  
They were running out of options, the only one left is to go back outside to try and infiltrate the facility through the wired gate, even then the Cerberus were out there and if they were infected with the Veronica Virus she dreaded to think how they would have mutated, _maybe even jump through first floor windows?_ Claire tried to ignore that line of thought.  
Throughout the whole day neither of them had radio contact, if they did the other would come rushing to wherever, hoping that a new number has been found. Claire did suggest going through the sewers, but Billy rubbished that idea saying all he did was walk into dead ends, the only open route was to the mansion, which must of been how they discreetly got the prisoners there. There was no way it would have turned to the facility, besides if by what the infected from the kitchen had mutated to no doubt the prison infected could be filling the sewers as time went on.  
"Cl...aire?"  
She spun round and looked over towards the beds.

Rebecca tried sitting up only to be slowly pushed back down by the other.  
"Hey take it easy, you were badly hurt..."  
"W-what happened? I remember blacking out.."  
Claire just raised her hand to her intercom "Hey, you might want to come up here...she's awake." She smiled at her "I'll let your knight in shining armour tell you all about it, let's just say you had us both incredibly worried."  
"My...knight?" The door suddenly flung open and a man was standing at the end of the bed. The same usual dark hair, dark blue combats, black top with a black bullet proof vest over the top.  
"Hey" He kneeled beside her bed "Bout time you woke up"  
"Billy?...I thought I was imagining it when I thought it was you, just my mind giving me some sort of happiness before I went.."  
"You still fantasizing bout me?"  
"Shut up" Rebecca felt a few shocks of pain as Billy lifted her to a more comfortable position. "Where the hell have you been?"  
Claire left them to it and went back to the computer, feeling that they needed to catch up. She noticed Billy's demeanour changed once again, it went back to how it was when he tried to save her, a much more caring side.

"I was held captive for 6 months, not long after we went our separate ways from the labs, I was escaping from Raccoon when some Umbrella soldiers found where I was staying. They could have killed me, yet no doubt they had orders to keep me alive. I was taken to Rockford Prison, and before you ask no I don't know Steve, I've already got all those questions from her"

Claire rolled her eyes

"I was transferred to an underground prison not far from here, believed to have briefly met your S.T.A.R.S boss, the place got infected, I escaped down the sewers, heard you fighting that monster, came to save the day."  
Rebecca looked down to where a metal shard had embedded itself to see a perfectly stitched seal.  
"I did that too, hanging round a medic kinda made me thought 'Well what if _they_ were injured?'. Oh you got a sexy scar on your cheek too" He chuckled.

Claire suddenly interrupted their moment "He saved your life twice, from the Experimental and then you stopped breathing after he stitched you up."  
"Hey, she would have bled to death if it wasn't for you"  
"Thank you, both of you.." Rebecca smiled at them both  
Billy grin grew larger. "Now you just concentrate on getting better, we need our hacker back, got a computer that needs your magic fingers"  
"Oh is that the only reason I'm alive? To hack a computer? Geez guys, thanks!" They all laughed.  
Billy felt a hand rest on his as he looked to Rebecca mouthing another 'Thank you' his way.


	10. The end of one, the start of another

**Usual disclaimer**

* * *

Billy collected the other computer and placed the hard drive on the floor, giving Rebecca the keyboard. He sat near her with the monitor on his lap. Rebecca wanted to get straight back to work, sweet talking Billy into getting the computer. They refused to take her to the room as she wasn't fully healed.  
Billy rested his arms on top of the screen as she got to work, typing away. "So what happened to you when we split then? At the mansion?"  
"When I got there practically all my team were dead, Claire's brother found me. Richard was poisoned badly, I made the serum, but it was already too late ..he died not long after. Chris told me to stay safe whilst he cleared the area. I escaped with him, Jill, Barry and Brad. After the incident we were wanted criminals.  
Our old boss, Wesker, was dead and we were the suspects to the killings, no one believed us when we told them the truth. I managed to escape from Raccoon with Chris before the outbreak into the city. Jill, Barry and Brad stayed behind and would meet us in a town 50 miles away..only Jill and Barry came back with Carlos, an ex Umbrella missionary, who was ordered to eradicate the city.  
Billy rested his head on his arms. "I wanted to contact you, but it would have put us both at risk, and the obvious that I was imprisoned for most of that time anyway."  
"I know, I wanted you to team up with us. I didn't know where you were or how to contact you, I thought you just went freelance." Rebecca looked up from the screen.  
"I'm sorry, I should have gone with you to the mansion.."  
"Don't be, it's in the past, what's done is done. Besides if any of my team were still alive they would have killed you anyway." She went back to looking at the monitor."I did you a favour of saying you were dead for a reason, you had to live and you've saved my life countless times now."

Claire walked in and laid on the bed next to them. "Eager as ever Becs?"  
"You know me Claire, don't like doing nothing." Her fingers were tapping fast on the keys "This one is defiantly more secure." She had already passed one coded page only to be taking longer on the second one. "Did anything happen while I was out?"  
"You mean apart from me rescuing the damsel in distress and reviving said damsel from death?" Billy smiled as Rebecca looked up once more and shook her head at him.  
"Me and Claire brought you up here when you were finally stable and we began looking through whatever notes we could to find the pass code to the basement door. I got fed up and decided to search the mansion when Claire fell asleep..those bombs you made were nasty stuff! The smell of dead infected was the worst thing ever. I left the dining room and went into this sort of long corridor when the door on the end burst open and I had infected running at me."  
Rebecca's eyes widened, they could see the shock and guilt on her face "I forgot all about them...from the kitchen, right?"  
Claire nodded "Don't worry he took care of them, woke me up in the process.."  
"Yeah I don't think she was happy me disrupting her beauty sleep." He got playfully hit on the side of his head by Rebecca.  
"He found the door that required the two keys, failing to tell me that he already got the Torso key from the basement when he saved you..but anyway. He unlocked it to find another computer, obviously couldn't see the contents so we were stuck."  
Billy continued on. "So all this time we've gone through files, notes, anything we can find to get more information on that facility and a pass code, I've left her to sort through the information on Steve."

"Did you find much?"  
"More observation reports, his profile." She gave Rebecca the page with his picture on. She took it and examined it.  
"No offence Claire, but that hairdo does not suit him...It's like if Billy get's that done.."  
"Hey I am still here you know!" He barged into the conversation.  
"You're point being? I think a slightly shorter cut would do you..not too short" Claire just laughed as Billy gave Rebecca and shocked expression.  
Rebecca continued "And what's with the bullet proof vest? Fashion Statement?"  
Billy smirked " I learnt from the best" He dodged another smack to the head and laughed.  
The mood was so relaxed, for a moment they forgot all the troubles awaiting them in the facility. After more banter they finally got back to the job at hand.  
"Thought I'd let you guys know that I'm coming with you whether you like it or not, this thing has got personal with me."  
"What do you mean?" Rebecca still had her eyes focused on the screen and tapping furiously.  
"I found a file concerning a man called Samuel Regan, he's the one that court marshalled me, he's been associated with the facility..and was working with your boss. I need to know why."  
Rebecca nodded, this mission got personal for all three of them. Claire to find Steve, Billy to find out about Regan and Rebecca to protect and help each of them with their own goals, plus she wasn't going to let Billy run off on his own this time.  
"Don't worry, we'll find something." She put a comforting hand on his arm. There they stayed looking into each others eyes until a cough from Claire broke the moment and they went back to working. Claire chuckled to herself.

Rebecca was surprised how secure this computer was, it took her at least four hours to finally gain entrance. Billy and Claire looked intently at the monitor as each file was brought up and read.

_Visitor report - December 28 1998_

_Samuel Regan- 2 males, one deceased, one from Understock Prison. Left subjects in our care, were taken to facility immediately by his request on the orders of Albert Wesker._

_Swipe cards. December 31 1998_

_New issues given only to _

_-Trevor Yeshat_  
_-Mike Smith_  
_-Richard Trefur_  
_-Michelle Frost_

_No one else to have access to the basement as patient being moved into area._

_January 5 1999_

_Key card door has been replaced with Statue keys, each basement allowed employee carries one at all times. If lost they are killed on site, or punishment if requested _  
_by head researcher._  
_Basement lock has been moved to the far end to gain access to a train leading to the facility, all for door keys required to operate. Each access only staff has_  
_been given a key and number code to gain access._

_-Trevor Yeshat - 25GV74TY009_  
_-Mike Smith - TMS3762UY83_  
_-Richard Trefur - 76GTF75RT14_  
_-Michelle Frost - 56734TFRDMF_

_If the request to use basement or go to facility, security escorts them. Failure to comply states immediate execution when they reach the facility or unlocking_  
_the basement._

"Well there's our code out of here" Rebecca smiled  
"Regan was here also..." Billy got up and walked to the door "Claire, you said in the library there was nothing behind a locked door, I'm going to investigate it. It had to be locked for a reason."  
"All that was in that room was an empty chest..." She didn't get to finish as Billy left the room.  
"He'll be okay, It's the Samuel Regan thing..he just needs to blow off a bit of steam...We should be making preparations to leave."  
Claire shook her head "Becs you're in no condition to be moving!"  
Rebecca wasn't going to listen to reason, "Claire, the longer we leave it the worse the infected become, the less likely chance that Steve may be alive. The longer we drag this mission on the more chance that Barry and Carlos will come looking for us and then they'll be stuck in this mess not knowing if we are alive or dead...C'mon, we'll get the rest of the stuff from that armoury and get ready."

Billy shut himself into the small room in the library trying to clear his airways of the putrid, rotten smell the lickers were giving off, four days of decaying was enough to make anyone gag. Part of him was glad he was there, he reunites with Rebecca, even saving her life in the process. But the thought of Regan being involved got his blood boiling. To be honest this is probably how she felt when she was told Wesker was involved in the whole virus thing. He turned his attention the chest in front of him. Opening the lid it looked like a normal empty chest, but something was amiss, only if someone were looking very carefully it would have been noticed.  
The two sides didn't completely fit into the back compartment. He pulled the chest off the wall with a mighty jolt as a panel stayed attached to the wall as did the lid but when it fell forward the panel bent back into a wall to reveal some items of interest with a note.

_To whoever this may concern,_

_The mansion is crawling with infected, someone has sabotaged the facility and set the infected loose outside, in here and the facility._  
_It was clearly an inside job, but I have no clue as to who has done it. The military and research men and women that were here have perished._  
_There is no hope for me as I await my death. We sent a distress signal to Umbrella but they have not sent support and no communication._  
_They have left us to rot with our experiments. I hoping that someone hasn't found out what we were hiding from them and stayed true to their employers. If 0267 and 6612 escaped things would be catastrophic. I leave access codes to the facility as well as access to the security cameras and life supports. I urge if you are against Umbrella to please do the right thing, destroy these monsters before they come for them. I pray that you have come here to shut this facility down for good._  
_I leave my keycard so you can get access to the self destruct sequences to the facility, mansion and Understock prison. Leave no trace._  
_Richard tried to flee, only for the Cerberus to kill him. I apologise for my actions with Umbrella, I hope to be forgiven for this is my last stand._

_-Michelle Frost_

Inside a small bag was a keycard, 2 floppy discs labelled 'Security' and 'Life Support', a list of codes and where to punch them in. Billy smiled and rushed back to the girls scattered the fireplace room with weapons, ammo and extras.  
"Hey guys, breakthrough...hidden wall compartment."  
They both read the note and looked at the bag contents. "Looks like someone else is on our side for once.." Rebecca was about to gather her kit together when she felt a hand on her arm pulling her back.  
"You're in no state.." Billy wanted her to come, but at the same time her condition was still bad.  
"Don't you start! I'm helping you... both of you. I'm seeing this through to the end no matter what state I'm in.." Rebecca's eyes were as determined as ever "..I know you guys care concerned for me, but trust me I can do this...besides, you wouldn't last 5 minutes without having to come back for me to unlock, decode or hack something.." She watched as Billy took off his Bullet proof vest and placed it on her, tightening the sides for a better fit.  
"I don't want a slight knock opening that wound again, besides, a bloodied shirt isn't really your fashion style" Billy was waiting for another smack but only got a laugh from the two women. "Let's get suited and head out.."

* * *

**There we go, the mansion part has finally ended! I hope you have enjoyed the story so far, baring in mind this is my first fanfic, I don't think I've done THAT badly...have I?**

**Thank you to all who have read this far!**


	11. Entering the Facility

**Usual disclaimer**

* * *

They arrive at the secondary door in the basement. Claire was looking round unable to believe how Rebecca survived such punishment and on very uneven ground at that.  
Billy walked to the grate in the wall and listened into the sewers " They are defiantly in there...if we stayed any longer I don't think we would have made it out of here..as humans anyway"  
Claire reached into her back pocket and got Richard Trefur's ID card, swiping the lock and punching in the corresponding code. The door unlocked with a click and slowly opened, each of them had their weapons drawn, ready for anything. Billy signalled Claire to go first swiftly followed by Rebecca as he watched the rear. Slamming the door behind them to hear the click of it electronically locking itself again Billy quickly moved to the front and sweeped the area. At the other end was the train to the facility, only one carriage, not very suprising since only 4 people were allowed through. Crates were scattered against the walls and in the center. Claire opened a couple up to reveal wires, keypads and what looked like mother boards.  
"Hey Becs, what you think of this?" She handed a motherboard and a keypad to her.  
Rebecca examined it for a few moments "Looks brand new, defiantly up to date, my guess is they were going to change the whole security system."  
"Would make sense, what with all the hiding of Steve and the Experimental, they were going to make sure not even the Umbrella top brass could get in. My guess is that they were going to set both Veronicas on them just to prove a point." Billy looked at the keypad in Rebecca's hand. "They had everything they needed, someone found out and set the infected free.."  
They carried on making their way to the train, slowly, they weren't taking any chances. Claire carefully scanned the ceiling, the infected could be anywhere, her experience with Lickers proved it. The one time she forgot to check the ceiling in the library nearly cost her dearly. Rebecca checked another crate, this one had what seemed to be uniforms in. She pulled out a black short-sleeved t-shirt  
"You want to change out of your bloody clothes?" Claire walked up to the crate and pulled out some sandy trousers  
"Guys, seriously..we're not shopping" Billy still kept scanning the area ahead.  
"Would you rather me be wearing a top covered in my blood and pants with infected blood all over them? Cause I sure don't"  
Billy turned to look at Rebecca, clearly irritated that some stupid clothing was slowing them down. But looking at Rebecca's face, seeing her standing her ground he turned around "Fine, but change on the train.." He continued to slowly walk ahead whilst Claire found the correct sizes for Rebecca, quickly catching up to him.  
They reached the train, searching around the outside making sure nothing unusual was attached anywhere. Billy slowly slid the door open, half way across a body fell out of the carriage. They all froze pointing their weapons at the headless being, Billy slowly reached down to grab the letter attached to the shirt.

_I've taken my life. _  
_To whoever finds me... if anyone does, I escaped here as the infected began to over run the facility._  
_The mansion has infected roaming the halls as well, I am trapped. There is only one escape._  
_I will attempt to sever my head from my body so I can't turn._  
_I refuse to become one of those things. _  
_I've overrided several of the door mechanisms which will have to be opened via the security room. _  
_All left to say is good luck...you're going to need it with that is in there._

"Great, so Facility is over run with infected we don't know" Billy crumpled the paper in his hand and threw it away, dragging the body completely out of the train.  
He went and scanned inside bringing out the head. "He could have at least done it somewhere more discreet.." He carefully placed the head at the top of the body and ushered the others into the train, sliding the door closed. Claire proceeded to the control panel, it was very much like the train at Raccoon. Turning on the main power she saw four key holes complete with engravings above each hole. She pulled out the leg and head key from her pockets and placed them in the hole, turning slightly to hear a click.  
"Billy, you got the other two keys?" She turned round to see him helping Rebecca out of her body armour  
"Urm..yeah.." He pulled out the torso and arm key and handed them over to her not even looking as he finally undone the last strap and helped her out. Realising he wasn't needed anymore he walked up next to Claire at the control panel. "We good to go?"  
"I'll give Becs a chance to change, we'd be there in a few seconds..." She looked at Billy and moved closer to him, whispering "So what is going on with you two?"  
Billy gives her a puzzled look "What are you talking about?".  
"They way you look at each other.."  
"Claire, we are in between a mansion with infected and a facility of infected, this isn't the best time...".  
"Okay I'm done! Fits perfectly"  
Billy goes back to Rebecca and helps put the armour back on, being careful not to out too much pressure on her wound.  
Claire just watches them and smiles. "Right, let's get going" She pulls down a lever as the engine starts with a jolt. Swiftly pulling another lever the train starts to move towards the facility.

It was only a matter of seconds until the train shuddered to a stop. Claire looked towards the others and draws her weapon once more, Billy was about to slide the door open when something hit it, not something like a knock or punch more like...something running into it. It happened a few times. When it finally subsided, the hollowed, metal train amplifying the noise was hopefully making whatever it was sound more fierce than what it was. Billy slid the door open a little way as Rebecca looked around the deserted platform, nothing. Whatever it was had suddenly disappeared, shaking her head Billy closed the door again.  
"Okay, I'll go first, Claire cover the rear." He slid the door fully open and rushed out, shotgun drawn, scanning the platform. The girls stood with their backs to each other and Billy, leaving no blind spot. Something suddenly moved in the corner of his eye, he turned to see something that looked or was once human. It's jaw was defiantly broken, even hanging off, but in its mouth was some sort of spike dripping blood. It lept off the wall and began to charge.  
"There's one behind us!" Rebecca fired at the monsters legs, it fell "Aim for the legs first!"  
Claire helped Rebecca finish her monster with three headshots with her own shotgun, and quickly spun to help Billy only to see he already killed his attacker.  
They examined the body closely, "It looks like the spike is for a quicker death" Rebecca looked up to the others "It defiantly didn't take as much punishment as the infected in the mansion"  
"What it lacks in resistance it makes up for with speed and agility, if I hadn't seen it move i'd easily be dead by now...c'mon, let's go"  
They walked slowly to an elevator not far from where they were standing, slowly ascending Claire turned to Rebecca  
"It's probably best if we split up that you go with Billy, I don't want to risk that wound being re opened."  
"It's fine I can look after myself, you don't need to worry about me"  
Billy shook his head " She's right, whether you want to or not if that wound re opens or gets infected you're gonna need me, plus we only have 2 radios. To have someone walking around on their own without one could be really bad. We wouldn't know where that other person is, if they are alive, infected.."  
Rebecca was clearly getting frustrated, she understood why they were looking after her but now they had seemed to forget she was Bravo team's medic.  
"Please Becs, it'll be for the best." She nodded, now was not the time to be arguing, they needed to do what needs to be done and get out, quickly and effectively.  
The elevator reached the top, Claire leading the way onto the what seemed to be the main reception. Trails of blood lead in every direction, body parts scattered across the floor. On one side was a long desk scattered with papers and a computer, Rebecca turned it on.  
"This place still has complete power, makes it a bit easier...right so let's see...map of the building..." A few clicks on the mouse was all that were needed "Right, security room is down left side corridor...third room on the left. This floor is just offices..Second is labs, third is containment, basement is storage. Staircases to upper floors are located at the furthest side of each floor. Fire escape only accessable from third floor and... that's about it."  
"Okay, we slowly make our way through the building clearing each floor as we go, agreed? Right, let's all head to the Security room first and work out what to do from there.." Claire led the way.  
Rebecca knelt at the entrance to the left corridor, eye trained down the sights of an assault rifle as Claire slowly made her way down the bloodied passageway, Billy watching the rear. They all slowly moved up together until they reached the correct door.  
"Becs, you got those codes?" Pulling out one of the newly acquired security cards  
She pulls a piece of paper out of her pocket " Michelle Frost, 56734TFRDMF "  
Claire swiped the card and entered the code, to the light click the door was unlocked. Billy entered the room first checking the walls, ceiling and every corner before giving the all clear to the other two to enter. Rebecca went in first going straight to the main console and Claire quickly locked the door behind them.  
There must have been over 40 screens along the wall, multiple control panels with a vast array of buttons and switches.  
Rebecca was furiously tapping on the small keyboard in front of her switching from screen to paper. "Okay I'm in, Billy do you have that floppy disk?" Billy inserted the disk into the accustomed slot as he and Claire looked up to the screens lighting up one by one. "Okay these look like old footage files, each labelled with an event..concerning patients 6612 and 0267.."  
They began to play the first file. Viewing the main reception area they were just in moments ago. Showed a man walking to the desk aiming a gun at a dishevelled and chained man, and what looked like a big black bag over his shoulder.  
Billy clenched his fists "That's Regan...and 6612.."  
"So that must mean that over his shoulder has to be Steve.." Claire wanted to look away, but needed to see what happened to him.

_"A Present from Albert Wesker, use them wisely. Your superior knows what the thing in this bag is about, Albert thought you'd like a new test subject to test it on so he volunteered this guy"_

Two men came into the view, one with a trolley the other injected 6612 with something, must have been a sedative. Regan threw Steve onto the trolley which really angered Claire "He's a dead man..."  
"Glad I'm not the only one to want that now.." Billy looked over to her as the first clip ended "We know what happened to 6612, just concentrate on Steve.."  
"There aren't that many more on Steve, but i'll play them anyway"

They looked again to the monitor showing a single capsule in the middle of a large room. Two researchers come in and look into the capsule.

_"He's finally shown signs of brain activity, yet it's not affected his brain like all the others."_  
_"You think he's adapting to it?"_  
_"Doubtful, he did apparently mutate before, so it's only a matter of time."_

The clip jumped to see a lone figure on a chair with their back to the camera

_"How are you feeling? Any changes?"_  
_The figure just sits still and does nothing_

Rebecca closed the file "Just two more left" She clicked onto the next one.

This time the figure was slouched on a chair facing the camera

_"Tell us how you're feeling"_  
_The figure spoke "How I'm feeling? How do you think I feel!? Being constantly stabbed with needles, prodded, poked, stared at like some caged animal. Why don't you come in here maybe you'll know how I feel. I'm being held against my will!" He looked up and stared at the camera._

Rebecca paused the video "Is that him Claire?"  
Claire pulled out his profile page and compared the photo to the face on the screen "...That's him.." She was taken back, there he was alive, moving and talking.  
The video resumed playing

_"I was stopping this from happening, now I'm aiding it..what justice is that!? Give it time, this place will be attacked..tared to the ground. They'll rescue me!"_

The clip skipped again

_"Four months 0267, they clearly don't care for you, after all they think you're dead."_

It skipped once more

_"Some interesting news 0267, Umbrella forces infiltrated a building 80 miles from here. The deceased party in question one name will stand out to you... "Claire Redfield"_  
_Steve blocked up his ears "NO! I won't believe you! No way would that ever happen!"_  
_"Whether you like it or no 0267, no one is coming for you"_  
_"Stop calling me that!" His voice changed sounding slightly raspier as he hurled the chair across the room._

Rebecca turned to Claire, "Did that attack happen?"  
She nodded "I was with a few survivors wanting to join our cause when the house was ravaged with gunfire. I managed to sneak out the back and escape, but the others died."

The last recording was played

_Steve was surrounded by several security and researchers, he was obviously in some distress. The video skips to show him standing in the middle of a circle of dead bodies. The room suddenly fills with some sort of gas and skips once more to see him being sealed in the tube._

"Do we know where that room is?"  
Rebecca brought up all the security camera feeds onto the monitors. On the screens were either full of destruction or monsters. They barely recognised the monsters that were roaming the building, noticing some of the runners, bandersnatch, but at least three they had never seen before.  
Billy pointed "There, room 0267" On screen was just an empty room with a capsule in the middle  
Rebecca shook her head "It doesn't say which floor and the map on the reception computer barely had any named rooms on, just the basics."  
Billy turned away and checked his weapon "We'd best get started..."


	12. Let it be known

**Usual disclaimer**

* * *

They split off, Claire on her own searching the floor of offices, and Rebecca with Billy to the labs on the second floor.  
The offices were neatly arranged, the best way to describe it was like a noughts and crosses board, the rooms were isolated with the corridor around them. Claire slowly entered the first room, it was so tidy you wouldn't think that someone tried to flee apart from files scattered on the floor. Claire picked them up and looked through them, nothing of any use, pages were missing in some reports, the days that Steve arrived. She looked around the room, the desk was slotted into a corner with small bookcases either side, a bed was at the far end. It made sense that the scientists and researchers stayed in the facility, after all if they were spotted coming in and out of the complex when it was seemingly abandoned it would raise eyebrows...and curiosity. Leaving the room and entering the next one, exactly the same as the first, reports missing.

Rebecca and Billy were having a harder time, the labs were like a maze of short corridors and turns. They barely made it to the first lab before they got attacked by a couple of runners. They came across a few locked doors before hand, obviously due to the security override by the guy from the train. They all agreed not to release any of the assigned locked doors until they knew the other rooms and corridors were cleared of infected, not wanting the risk of finding out some monsters could open doors or any contained experiments were sealed within. The lab they did finally manage to get into was one of the larger ones, with three large workstations in the center. Glass cabinets had smashed on the floor, their contents spilt along the dark tiled floor.  
"Should we be worried?"  
Rebecca shook her head "It's been months since the outbreak started, if any of this was airborne material it would have left through the vents a while back."  
The whole lab was a mess, the desperation to destroy any evidence against them was very clear. The fume cupboards in the corner had the remains of burnt articles, folders mainly, the sink had a vast array of colours staining it, they poured whatever they could.  
"They know not to pour chemicals into the drains, that would have caused a major outbreak to densely populated cities either airborne or in the water. This must lead to somewhere else where it's safe to dispose..."  
"Where the hell is it safe to dispose of life threatening chemicals?" Billy looked through one of the cupboards to find a handgun and ammo. "Looks like they were ready for anything." He held up the gun and examined it "If say the infected came in and attacked them this would have been no good, if Umbrella came in they would be shot immediatly...do you think that the lab guys didn't know about the advanced mutation?"  
"Could be, the mutated were kept confined on the next floor up, they probably knew that they were working with the Veronica virus but didn't know it's capabilities."  
They were too busy searching the cupboards to realise something had quietly crawled out of a fume cupboard vent.  
They found a medallion of an ape "Oh great that brings back memories.." Rebecca sighed and stood up as Billy laughed  
Suddenly she was attacked and flew into the corner of one of the workstations hitting it painfully on her left side, falling onto the cold tiles below.  
"Rebecca!" Billy rushed to his feet, magnum at hand quickly aiming around the room to find the perpetrator. On the wall adjacent to them was something they had never seen before, it was huge. Billy couldn't understand where it came from, six long legs with what looked like sickles on each end, five white eyes, it wasn't very hairy, it wasn't a spider..an insect?..It still had a human shape to it. He fired two shots at it before it lunged at him, he rolled out the way and began to fire at the infected once more. Rebecca regained her composure, slowly standing, the adrenaline numbing the pain in her side she grabbed her grenade launcher and fired at the monster.  
It fell after two shots from Rebecca, flailing it's legs and hissing as it's life ended, they approached it to try and get a better understanding as to what it was.  
"You alright?" Billy put a concerned hand on the other's shoulder.  
"I'm fine, the pain has gone, probably a nice bruise to match the scar" She chuckled, keeping her eye on the dead thing in front of them. "What the hell is this?"  
"Well they were keeping things secret even from Umbrella..could be anything..but since they were using the prisoners as test subjects I guess we can sort of call it human...But whe-" Billy was slammed into the wall, his magnum fell from his grasp as another of those creatures had appeared and trapped him.  
"Billy!" Rebecca grabbed her assault rifle, dodging it's flailing legs, it would have been easier to use the grenade launcher but she didn't want to risk hitting him. Moving to the monsters' side she raised her weapon and began to fire.  
Billy was staring right at it, seeing the mouth gradually open to see it's menacing fangs. The mouth was sitting vertically, opening wider and wider across.  
He struggled to escape as it's mouth drew ever closer to his face..it was going to rip his head off..  
Rebecca was getting desperate, soon the man in front of her was going to die if she didn't do something. Without any hesitation she grabbed the fallen magnum off the floor and found a moment to fire a point-blank shot through it's head, she was expecting a lot of recoil, but it was powerful enough to dislocate her right shoulder.  
The monster's head blew clean off and fell instantly to the floor, dead.  
Billy helped Rebecca pop her shoulder back in, and picked up his magnum once again. "Thanks" He helped her back to her feet "Let's get out of here before more of them show up."

Claire found the offices of the four researchers that were assigned to travel from the mansion to the facility, Richard's room had been completely trashed, Trevor's was completely empty and Mike's just had a runner. She found Michelle's office, but unlike the others the door was locked, beside it was a keypad with a red light.  
She placed her hand to the radio "Hey Rebecca, what was Michelle's security code again? I've found her office"  
_"56734TFRDMF"_  
Claire swiped the card an input the code only for nothing to happen. "Is there any other code that it might be?"  
_"There's MFMS63009UM"_  
Claire tried the number and the door blinked green "Great, that's it." She entered the room to find it clear and documents piled on her desk. "You guys been alright?"  
_"We found an Ape medallion, haven't found it's purpose yet, any files up here have been burned. Other labs have come up with nothing, few runners..and a new infected.."_  
"..A new one?" She stood over the desk and opened the first file.  
_"Was part human and some sort of insect, we don't know where it came from, but it was pretty big.."_  
"I'm thinking, maybe it came from the vents?" Billy had pondered that thought for a few minutes as they walked along the maze of corridors  
"Could have been actually..._Claire, they may be hiding out in the vents, be careful, and we've got incoming_."  
Claire left them to it and began to read through the files. Once again a lot of notes concerning the experimental, but others caught her interest.

_January 6th 1999_  
_That Regan guy has been creeping around, constantly wanting to know about 0267 and 6612. _  
_I keep telling him I don't know, why doesn't he actually find the head researcher or scientist and ask them?_  
_It's not like he has the authority anyway, just because he's Birkin's understudy._  
_I don't think he knows who 6612 really was._  
_He needs to know if he keeps sticking his nose in like Gareth did there will be consequences._

_January 11th 1999_  
_He's still here, I caught him trying to get into the containment level. Security finally chucked him out._  
_Albert just told us to keep an eye on him, but everywhere you looked he was there, something's not right..._

"Why would Regan be snooping around the facility? Was he with Umbrella or not?" Claire put the notes to one side to show Rebecca and Billy later.

She brisked through a few more folders until she came to one titled Veronica - 0267.

_Only a small handful of us know what happened at Rockfort Prison and Antarctica, Albert filled us in. He attacked the Island with the H.C.F to get the Veronica Virus._  
_He aimed to get it from Alexia Ashford, but found a young man who had mutated thanks to Veronica. He called ahead he said that we could experiment, take samples, anything we want from this body in return we help him topple Umbrella and create new foundations for him to lead the new world. How could we refuse? Umbrella never cared for us, we were the lab that were given the jobs no other wanted, the dustbin of Umbrella you might say. We have highly talented scientists and researchers put to waste so we jumped at the opportunity._  
_Samuel Regan brought us the person in question, patient 0267, straight from Antarctica and a man from Understock whom I vaguely remember visiting with Albert on several occasions. This man was to be the first Veronica test subject, but we used others too. We learnt that the Virus effects everyone in different ways 6612 and 0267 had adapted in their own way._  
_0267 in general was re animated thanks to the virus, yet when he was talking he wouldn't show us his mutation, Albert told us to mention the name Claire Redfield and that would get his attention. It did, the more we taunted him with that name the more he'd react. Soon it did get out of hand we had to send security and researchers in to calm him down...he mutated fully and killed them all in a second. It was stunning..a marvel! We have an ultimate bio weapon. We don't know what he's like when he's in his human form, all he did was sit on a chair all day doing nothing. Seems he doesn't have powers out of mutation. But then again, he may not be showing them._  
_Not long after finding out all the mutation data we used this for the experimental, the change in stature was incredible, it became much stronger. Sadly Gregory ended his life for our research, the battle stats were off the chart! We know that if Umbrella comes knocking we have the perfect weapons._  
_The Virus itself has shown massive mutation enhancements even in the basic infected. They grow more powerful everyday, their resistance is greatly increased depending on the type of infected and how the body adapts to the virus, their bodies could change depending on what we implant into them. This is turning out to be the ultimate, The T-Veronica type 2 Virus...might work out a better name later..It'll be the most feared out of the T-Virus creations, and we helped create it into something unstoppable._

Rebecca and Billy had one last lab to look into, they found the doors up to the containment level to notice they were one of the overrided security doors. This lab door was slightly ajar, alerting the two that there was probably something inside. Billy carefully checked it out whilst Rebecca guarded the corridor.  
"Okay it's clear, and there are no vents or fume cupboards either so it's good...Rebecca?"  
"Billy...help.."  
He rushed back out the room the see her slouched against the wall, but she was not alone, in the distance three runners were coming for them, too much for Billy to handle on his own, he shot at least one to the ground and quickly picked up Rebecca taking her into the empty lab and slamming the door behind him. Laying her on the table he quickly took off her armoured vest and lifted her shirt to see the dressing over the experimental wound was soaking wet with blood, even dripping. Quickly removing it to see that some of her stitches had popped, not many but enough to release a steady blood flow.  
"Do you know when this happened?"  
Rebecca shook her head "The adrenaline from when I was thrown must have disguised it"  
He lifted the shirt a bit higher "Tell you what, you were right about that bruise.." He rummaged through his backpack for his surgical thread and a fresh dressing "You keep doing this i'm going to run out of everything" He chuckled as he began to re stitch the wound. Rebecca could feel every needle incision, of course she was unconscious before, and the bruising isn't helping the situation. She rested an arm on the man's shoulder and looked at him, it was relaxing her, she barely felt anything after that.  
Billy finished the stitching and placed a new dressing over the wound, he felt her fingertips slowly stroking the back of his neck and looked at her.  
"No more being flung into things and powerful recoil weapons"  
"I'll try, but I didn't do it on purpose"  
He sighed as he helped her sit up on the table "I would like you to finish this mission alive..I nearly lost you before."  
"Well you can't get rid of me easily, you know that yourself." She reaches to the chain around her neck and pulls it out to reveal dog tags "I have to thank my good luck charm.."  
Billy looked closer "The one you ripped off me before we split.." he smiled "Thought you would have thrown them away after saying I were dead."  
"Let's just say you made an impression on me, besides, thought you'd might want them back next time I saw you...whenever that was."  
He held the tags in his hand and shook his head "Defiantly look better on you, keep them"  
She held his hand and pulled him closer lightly brushing their lips together. Billy was taken back for a second but finally let his feelings be known to her. He cupped the side of her face and softly kissed her lips.


	13. An old face

**Them disclaimers**

* * *

Billy walked up to the door ready to pull it back for Rebecca to fire at the small group of runners that had gathered outside their lab, only to find the handle missing.  
"What the hell? We're trapped?"  
Rebecca walked over to a notice next to the door

_Do not close door, cannot be open from the inside, will get fixed during security updates. If you are trapped call security._

They looked at each other and Rebecca laughed.

Claire had taken all the necessary folders from Michelle's office and proceeded back to the security room, swiping the card and re entering the code. Closing the door behind her she placed all the files on the side next to the control panel and looked up to the cameras. Seeing her collegues in one of the labs with Rebecca seemingly laughing, soon to be greeted on the radio.  
_"Claire, we might need your help, we are kind of stuck in here..."_  
"What kind of stuck? You mean there are infected outside?"  
_"That and..." She looked at Billy and laughed again "This door doesn't have a handle...Billy slammed it when he was helping me in from runners."_  
"So now Billy is sulking on the table.."  
_"Yep! So you must be back at the security office?"_  
"Just got back, got a lot of files for you guys to read" She looked to the screen covering the corridor "There's at least three runners roaming that corridor"

Rebecca pounded on the door and the runners all congregated back towards the sound and began slamming back into it.  
_"Well that's done the trick, hang tight guys, I'll be there in a sec, over"_  
She walked back to a silent Billy "You weren't to know, I just found it funny, sorry"  
Billy looked at her and brushed part of her hair off her face and smiled "It wasn't all bad" He pulled her closer and rested his hands on her hips "I found some ammo.." The comment was received by a playful punch on the shoulder followed swiftly by another soft kiss on the lips "We continue this when the mission is over okay?" He nodded, they had their moment but they had to keep their concentration and guard up, not knowing what other infected surprises lurked in the facility.

Claire rounded the corner seeing the small group of runners and fired a couple of flame rounds, watching them quickly fall to the ground to a screaming, singeing mess. The flames not surprisingly quickly dispersed and was replaced by a rather putrid smell of burnt, rotten flesh. She pushed the lab door open to see both of them sitting on the table.  
"So...how did you get stuck in here again?" Claire smiled towards Billy.  
"Rebecca's stitches popped, she became uneasy on her feet, runners were coming for us, we came in here, I shut the door to protect us. Now can we please drop it."  
"Blame me, I should have checked when I was thrown by that insect man thing.." She put her arm around Claire for balance. "Lost a bit of blood."  
They slowly walked back to the security room, Billy leading the way keeping guard of the front and rear. The place was so eerily quiet it put him on edge with every little sound that was heard. Reaching the security room once more Claire carefully lowered Rebecca into the chair "I need to know what you guys think of these.."  
She handed them both a couple of files and they began to read in silence, she could see the anger on Billy's face reading more about Regan.  
"Well we've defiantly got the information we need on the Veronica Virus, but this thing with 6612 and Steve just seems to have been blown out of proportion. To use your name to upset, even infuriate Steve into mutating is just insane! Who knows what they have done to him. We've seen the security footage, obviously just the before and after mutation.."  
"They could have completely brainwashed him Claire, the chance of you appearing might cause him to either completely break down or completely lose it and mutate. Even both..and from what I've seen I do not want to fight that guy.." Billy swapped folders with Rebecca. "The mentions of Regan in these files is highly suspicious the fact that was asking about 6612 was sort of alarming.."  
"How so?"  
"6612's real name was Gareth Hytem, the name sounded familiar so I couldn't place it, but now I remember. He was a soldier from another regiment sent with us to Africa. He was quiet, never really talked to any of us, just obeyed any order he was given. He refused to testify against me during the court marshall. When I was searching the patient files and on both computers I came across his name a few times. There is a chance that he was Albert Wesker's right hand man for a time, another spy in the military along with Regan and Colonel Harold Green. Something must have happened during his reports to Umbrella, Wesker and Regan found out and must have thrown him into Understock. Didn't you see in that footage how he didn't have any care for Steve but his body language towards Gareth...there was a history."  
"Like he took pleasure in leading him to inevitable pain and suffering." Rebecca spun round in her chair "And then wanted to check up on him frequently just to see the torture he was going through, but obviously mentioning Steve as well not to sound like a...grudge? But if it was a grudge, I may have been found guilty, but the fact that Gareth didn't testify against me no doubt got under Regan's skin and wanted him gone as well."  
Claire looked to the security screens. Each camera showed emptiness, once what had infected roaming the corridors was clear and silent. She allowed them to finish reading the files.  
Billy closed his and looked to the other two "So what now? Your original mission is almost done apart from the self destruct sequences, but obviously we need to get to Steve."  
"Claire did you come past any doors that would require the security override?"  
She shook her head "The only door I came across was Michelle's office and we got the code for that, I made sure it was properly shut incase we need to go back in there for whatever reason."  
Rebecca looks to the screens "Corridors are clear, there were a couple of labs that were locked and so was the door to containment, everyone agreed to unlock those doors?" Before she got a response there was a loud rumble followed by a whirring noise.  
"What the hell was that?"  
"..The elevator from the station...it's going down" Claire pointed to the corresponding security screen "Please tell me that does it by itself.."  
Rebecca looks at the small monitor in front of her "..it's been called..someone or.. something is coming.." She grabbed the paper of passcodes from her pocket and began rapidly pressing the keyboard in front of her.  
The sound stopped for a moment and then suddenly began again.  
"It's coming back up.." Claire and Billy stared at the screen as Rebecca never lifted her head, she placed the security disc into the system and began typing once more. What seemed like seconds felt like hours as the lift finally came to a stop. Before they even got a good look as to what stepped off Billy rushed out the door.  
"Stay here!" He slammed the door closed and ran down the corridor.  
They couldn't quite register what had happened until Billy appeared on the reception screen aiming a gun at what ever was there.

"Well well, isn't this a surprise? We found reports you were dead."  
"You should know you can't get rid of me that easily, no matter how hard you tried."  
"Yes, Wesker told me of your adventures in the Arklay labs."  
"Yeah I saw your puppets, shot them to the ground and escaped your little freak show."

Rebecca finished typing and wrote two codes down on a piece of paper WCRCCRSB267 and CRSB0267RBC "Claire the first code unlocks all doors apart from the one to contained, that's the second code"  
"Becs what are you..."  
"Claire please stay here, I'm going to help him.." She grabbed her pistol and ran out the door going a different way then what Billy did.  
Claire didn't like the way this was going, Billy ran out with a pistol and his magnum, Rebecca left with just her handgun. She watched closely on the monitors.

"You better have some damn good answers or your not going to be alive for long.." Billy's gun was aimed directly at the man in front of him.  
"About?..."  
"Don't fuck with me...the whole military thing, umbrella and your attempt to drag me into this..you better talk Regan"  
"That's Brigadier General Regan to you..."  
"Great, you get promoted for helping to slaughter innocents."

Rebecca slowly walked down the corridor just able to hear the conversation of the two men ahead. She readied her pistol as a man in a dark suit came into view.

"Alright then Coen, we selected you. You were going to be a new lab rat, the new test subject for the T-Virus. Only that didn't come to be. Umbrella wanted someone with strength and agility, we chose you. We were going to do basic tests on you in the Arklay labs and then transfer you to the Spencer labs for the Tyrant program, you were going to be the ultimate."  
"Well...sorry to disappoint you, I destroyed that lab with a little help."  
"Oh you mean the young woman over there stalking me in the shadows?" He turns to her "Come now dear, I'm unarmed, I was just talking to your companion here."

_"How did he know I was here?"_ Rebecca walked into view, gun still aimed at the man. He looked older than Billy probably around his late thirties, early forties with slightly greying hair at the sides. "Who are you!"  
The older man smiled at her "I'm Brigadier General Samuel Regan. I'm guessing you are Rebecca Chambers, the only surviving Bravo team member, the one who helped Coen out of the Arklay labs..you made one hell of a mess. Look can both of you put your weapons down, I'm unarmed...harmless."  
Billy and Rebecca looked at each other "I'm not lowering my weapon until we can be sure.." He nodded to her to search him.  
"He's clean." Billy lowered his weapon.  
Regan took this to his advantage grabbing Rebecca's armed hand and twisting it around her back, loosening her grip on her gun. He took it and held it to her temple, using her as a human shield.  
"Dear me Coen, the oldest trick in the book and you fell for it."  
Billy had already raised his pistol back up "You let her go Regan! She's got nothing to do with this!"  
"Oh the contraire, she has everything to do with this. She helped destroy both labs, and both mansions.. Oh yes I know that, but she can be my bargaining chip, after all you took down 6612. You don't have any stronger weapons with you which means they are with someone else"  
He snatched the radio from Rebecca's ear.

Claire had been watching what's happening from the security room.  
_"Now I know you are there, and no doubt you've seen what I've done, probably heard and read as well..movements from either of you and I shall put a bullet through her head, understand? You going to tell me your name also?"_  
"I'm not telling you anything"

_"Ah, but if you don't tell me I'll have to press the trigger and your friend will no longer be of this world..I could give her to the infected roaming the mansion if you so wish, she'll be dead but you could still see her again...now i'll ask again..your name.."_

"Claire Redfield"

_"Hmm, name sounds familiar, ah the sister of one of Wesker's old S.T.A.R.S team members."_

"Now just let Rebecca go"  
_"Oh I will, but first of all you are going to help me get into the containment floor. I have some data that needs collecting...I'm going to walk to the door and you are going to unlock it for me..if you don't she dies."_  
Billy saw an opening and shot at the man in the shoulder. He didn't flinch, he just turned and grinned. He headed off down the corridor gun still aimed at her head, dragging her along. Claire watched him along the corridors, Billy was following them at a safe distance, but kept him still in his sights.  
_"Now, the code..."_  
"...CRSB0267RBC"  
"Nice meeting you.." He threw the earpiece to the floor not far away and dragged Rebecca inside with him.

"NO! Rebecca!" Billy rushed over to the door slamming into it. He grabbed the thrown headset and placed it on his ear.

"Claire! Give me the code for this door!"


	14. Containment

**Usual disclaimer**

* * *

"Claire I said give me the code!"  
_"Billy calm down! You can't go rushing in there!"_  
"Rebecca's been taken by Regan and you're expecting me to just let that happen!?"  
_"You're not thinking! Yes Rebecca has been taken in there, but it's containment, who knows what monsters are in that place. I want to get Rebecca back as much as you, but charging in there is suicide."_  
Billy looked at the door in front of him, unclenched his fists and runs back to the security office.  
Claire glanced at him as he walked in, not exactly knowing what to say, but she knows she did the right thing.  
"So, what are we going to do then?"  
"When Regan appeared at the reception the only camera in containment was disabled, and that was the one in Steve's room. I don't know if that means someone has done that from elsewhere or Steve destroyed it himself. But we have no idea about the layout, monsters or where Regan is. We take our time, find Rebecca and Steve, then blow this place off the map."  
Billy nodded, he was lucky that Claire was with him. If he was on his own he would have forced his way through that door and probably got himself killed, leaving Rebecca all alone..probably to die by herself. He grabbed his backpack slinging it over his shoulder swiftly followed by Rebecca's grenade launcher and assault rifle. He blamed himself, why didn't he check Regan and not Rebecca? All this could have been avoided, why didn't she stay in the security office? So many questions were running round in his head. Claire placed her hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his trance.  
"Hey, we'll get her okay? She won't go without a fight, you know that."  
"Yeah.." He grabbed his shotgun making sure all weapons were fully loaded and looked to Claire as she finished checking hers. "Let's go.."  
They reach the containment level door, Claire quickly entered the code. Billy held the handle ready to pull it open.  
"Even if you see Regan stay calm, don't risk it."

He pulled the door open, both had their weapons drawn, slowly stepping through the doorway, they began their rescue missions.

The sound of a metal door shutting a short distance from them stopped them in their tracks, they awaited for something to come charging at them, but it never  
happened. The corridor seemed to stretch to the other side of the building looking like it opened up about half way down before closing back to its usual size.  
Another corridor turned to the right, since it was the closest they decided to head down there first, every room needed to be checked. Billy tried the first door  
only to find it locked. They tried the code Rebecca left them only for access to be still denied.  
"You got that swipe card?"  
"Yes, but Rebecca has all the pass codes.."  
Billy was about to hit the door but regained his composure "Let's keep moving"  
This corridor was long as well, bending to the left they saw another door to their right.

It opened but only a very small gap, it was like something was blocking it from the other side.  
He pushed harder and the door opened, looking behind it he saw nothing was there, just a crate with rope wrapped around it. Walking to the crates at the other side of the room, he pushed them out the way, to find bodies in a heap hiding behind them. He drew his gun to them, they didn't move, they didn't look infected, they hadn't turned at all. All their features were of a full fleshed human being, no scratches, no blood. Just a red ring around their neck, a rope burn.  
Coming to the conclusion they were either strangled to death or hung themselves, he turned round to see the horror he missed when he came in through the door. He rushed over and supported the dangling legs.  
"Claire! Get here now I need you!"  
Claire rushed in to see what the sudden outburst was about. There in front of her was Rebecca hanging from the ceiling, rope round her neck. Her legs and arms were bound, her mouth gagged and blindfolded. She rapidly pushed one of the crates beside Billy. Climbing up it she unsheathed her knife from her left shoulder and cut the rope, gently lowering her into Billy's arms.  
He laid her on the floor quickly removing the cloth around her eyes and mouth. "C'mon Rebecca, not again..." She coughed and gasped for breath, it  
calmed him somewhat as he took Claire's knife and cut her free from the noose and bindings. Regan was going to pay severely for this..  
She opened her eyes to see them both looming over her. With the realisation she was safe she embraced them both "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, if I had been more careful none of this would have happened.."  
"It's not your fault, if I hadn't run off like that in the first place.." Billy whispered into her ear "It's my fault that this happened, blame me." That only made her hold him tighter. A few moments passed before they helped Rebecca back to her feet. They took in their surroundings, trying to make sense of what happened.  
"When I opened the door and that crate fell...how did she get suspended in the air? Usually the weight of the crate would be the reason that they hung."  
Claire looked carefully at the door. At the top, part of the wood was missing and had been replaced by a sharp blade. In the ceiling was a hole, obviously were the rope had entered. Billy helped her stack a couple of crates and gave her a boost so she was right under the hole. He gave her back the knife as she began to rip open the hole in the ceiling.

Rebecca kept her arms wrapped around the man next to her, it gave her stability, but it also made her feel safe. She had too many close calls this mission and Billy was always there for her.  
Claire grabbed her torch and was able to stand and looked around in the ceiling. In front of her was a pulley system, clearly the rope from the noose went up and over it and a weight was still attached to the severed rope. There was another pulley a bit further away from the first, rope was dangling off it and attached to the weight of the noose.  
"It looks like the crate just held up another weight in the ceiling. Rope on weight breaks it releases the weight to the noose..."  
"That really doesn't make sense... why they didn't just attach the crate to the noose?"  
Claire sighed "Me and the others gave up questioning Umbrella's strange devices, they barely make sense at all" She scanned around the rest of the area seeing what seemed to be a box a bit further along. Fully climbing in she carefully crawls over and opens the box. Inside was a triangular prism made of stone, each side had engravings of the Umbrella logo, the Umbrella name and the name Oswell E Spencer.  
Billy helped Claire down from the crates, he and Rebecca looked carefully to what was in her hand.  
"Spencer..he was one of the founders of Umbrella, did he have an office here or something?"  
"The mansion I left you to head to was his place...he couldn't've been here...we'd best keep it just incase, there has to be a reason as to why it was hidden up there in the first place." Rebecca took the object from Claire and carefully placed it in Billy's backpack. "Shall we head out?"  
"You okay to carry on?" Billy turned to her with a concerned face.  
"I'll be fine, I'm ready to end this."  
Billy gave her back the assault rife and grenade launcher "Fully loaded and raring to go" He smiled at her to receive a smile back.

Claire headed out first swiftly followed by Rebecca with Billy at the rear. It was best they stayed together now and not split up. Walking back down the corridor they were greeted by the first infected, a lone runner who was disposed of in seconds. They reached the first door which neither Billy or Claire could open without Rebecca's help. Claire gave her Michelle Frost's card as she began typing through all the codes on the sheet of paper from her back pocket. She was glad Regan didn't search her or they would have been in trouble, she had all the pass codes, including the self destruct ones. The door finally clicked open and they slowly walked through. The room was bare apart from the dark tiled floor, white walls and a cabinet just opposite them. Claire approached and opened it, revealing some extra ammo for them all and a pair of sub machine guns. They were the exact same design she found at Rockfort, remembering how happy Steve was when she gave them to him. They were even loaded and ready to go, with a couple more magazines for good measure and came with leg holsters. Claire volunteered herself to carry them as the others had a back pack and medi kits to deal with, she didn't want to pile more weight on them.  
This level wasn't exactly as what they thought it would be. The rooms they had already entered were plain with barely anything in them. It was like they just packed up all their stuff and left.  
Back to where they started, they continued up the corridor into the more open area. In the center was a metal door without a keypad, Rebecca tried the door only for no response "You think this is the fire exit?"  
"Could be.." Billy tried two doors on his right, both locked with no keypads. He read out loud the words the were engraved on each door. "When the statues have turned the knowledge shall be granted."  
Claire tried the door to her immediate left, locked as well with the same inscription. Rebecca didn't even need to try the door north of her they all had the same  
words beside them.  
Billy came across the final door along with the statue inscription it had another one "The founding fathers'...well this is great, all that effort with the pass codes  
only to find out they aren't needed.." There was only one corridor to the left of them that gave them any hope of finding something. With Billy leading the way they walked past yet two more doors with same words etched into them. They came to a split, straight ahead of them were two rooms and to their right was a corridor which seemed to lead around the locked rooms.  
"Becs, you want to check out the rooms down there? And I'll see where this corridor goes" Rebecca nodded as she walked ahead and Claire to the corner of where the corridor turned.

Billy kept his shotgun aimed to where they had just come from. He was getting suspicious about why they have only come across one infected, and a runner at that. _"Something's not right..."_  
Claire Returned " It just turns again, it must go all the way round."  
Rebecca was looking at the plaque beside the first door and read it out to the others. "No access, only William Birkin, Albert Wesker, Samuel Regan and Clive Williams. Looks like we need one of their swipe cards.." She continued walking to the next door.  
"Who the hell is Clive Williams? I've never heard of that guy."  
"You think he is the owner of this Facility?" Claire and Billy both started walking down the corridor towards her. "Guys this door's open!"  
Rebecca slowly opens the door leading the other two into a rather large room. Instead of black tiles it was stone. In the center of the room were some statues spread out in a circle all facing outwards, in the middle of this circle was a pedestal.  
Claire approached it and read the message carved into it "When the statues are in agreement the doors shall open" She looked to the others "I guess this is the place we needed to be"

Rebecca goes to a painting at the far end of the room whilst Billy inspects a statue, they looked like knights.  
They were big enough for him to stand behind, he noticed two holes in the back of its stone head. He looked through to see that there was minimal vision, but enough to see a fixed part of the wall it was facing.  
Rebecca read out what she saw. "12 statues, numbered like a clock. Billy you're at number two."  
"I'm guessing we have to turn these things around then" He jumped down and walked over to Rebecca and read out the supposed clues

"12 believes in the right neighbour, 1 looks straight across, 2 alone but happily crosses with five, 3 is prime with a middle man on the left, 4 wants to be treated with the up most respect, 6 three-quarters, 8 can be split into identical doubles, 5 wants to be the winner, 7 2.33, 9 the second lowest believed to be alone, 10 envious of the top being watched by two, 11 only has eyes for one".


	15. Puzzles

**You know the drill by now..**

* * *

"What happened to good old-fashioned keys?" Claire shook her head. They all knew this was going to slow them down massively trying to work out the riddle. But they had to, they needed to find Steve."Let's quickly solve it and get moving.."  
"We're obviously dealing with a sort of clock face..the first number is the statue we move and the second part must be the riddle for the one it needs to face."  
Rebecca turned to Billy "What do you think?"  
"I'm guessing five wants to be the winner, so has to be facing one." He saw Rebecca nod in agreement "I'll move them" He walked over to statue number 5 turning it to number one's position, looking through the eye holes to make sure it was in line. "What's next?"  
"Four wants to be treated with the utmost respect, so the highest point? Twelve?" Claire watched Billy carefully positioning the statue and focused back to the picture.  
"Six Three-quarters, each quarter is three, six, nine and twelve, so move six to look at nine. Eight can be split into identical doubles so that must mean eleven.  
Twelve believes in the right neighbour, the statue is facing the wall so to the right is one."  
"Hang on Rebecca, I can only go so fast!" He was rushing round doing his best, but that statues moved slowly.  
"Must be your age Billy" She smiled so innocently at him, she knew he couldn't be mad at her. Doing this riddle was actually relaxing them after all the trouble  
they had been through.  
"Okay I've caught up, now do them... slowly!" He caught Rebecca glancing at him and pointed his finger at her mouthing 'I'll get you back'. She chuckled to herself and went back to looking at the painting.  
"One looks straight across...Is that ten, seven or five?" Claire gave it another thought "One to face seven if any are wrong we can change them."  
"You mean if there aren't any traps like poisonous gas, the statues come to life or descending ceilings and moving walls?"  
Billy noticed them starting to struggle and went over to help them out. " Ten envious of the top being watched by two..." He looked back to the statues " Five and twelve are looking at one. But if two statues are looking at one, then where is eleven looking?"  
"Three is prime with a middle man on the left...is we count the 'middle man' as a non prime number could that be four so it's facing five?" Claire went to help Billy move some statues before they forgot where they face.  
Rebecca's face lit up " I think I got it!"  
"Hurry up Doll face, we await your instructions." Him calling her that reminded Rebecca of their first meeting on the Ecliptic Express. So much has changed since that day.  
"Oi, stop fantasizing about me, you'll have time for that later!"  
"Who would fantasize about you? Anyway, Seven 2.33. 2.33 is the answer when you divide seven by three. Eleven has only eyes for one, usually if someone says you only have eyes for one they mean your partner, and eight is looking at eleven, so make eleven look back. So it's just nine and two left..."  
"The second lowest to be alone...what kind of stupid cryptic things are these?" Billy was starting to get irritated that this was taking a lot longer then what they expected. The longer they were here the more chance of Regan escaping.  
"AH!" Claire believed she had the solution "Two is alone, like it says and none of the others are looking at four, so four is the second lowest. So that leaves two cross five which is multiply equalling ten!"  
They moved the remaining statues making sure the 'vision' was locked onto their counterparts. The last one clicked into place and the pedestal opened to reveal another one of those triangular prisms.  
"Albert Wesker...great, that name still pops up everywhere we go..." Claire looked at it in disgust, the memory of him taking Steve was still freshly embedded in her mind. Even Rebecca glared at the name, the name of her former boss, she didn't blame the infected for killing the other members of Alpha and Bravo team, she blamed Wesker, it was him that sent them to that place knowing very well what was there and what they were capable of.  
Billy could sense the tension in the room as he took the object carefully from Claire's hand and put it in his bag...before she crushed it. He knew of  
Wesker's treachery, he hated what he put Rebecca through. The only up side was that if she wasn't there, he'd never had met her.  
"Right come on, let's make up for lost time." He ushered them back out the door only for them to reach the corridor Claire had briefly checked before to see them greeted by infected...seemingly alot of infected. "Where the hell did these come from!? Rebecca go that way!" It was the only way they can retreat and fire on the infected. Billy also hoped that corridor was actually clear otherwise both their flanks would be in trouble. They turned round the corner to see it was a dead-end, it gave him some relief. They picked off each monster that charged round the corner, runners fell over the corpses of the fallen before them, giving Billy, Rebecca and Claire a much better chance of hitting multiple targets, saving ammo.  
The stampede finally finished, the floor strewn with bodies and the once white walls were now covered in blood and flesh.  
Rebecca turned, she noticed a door a bit further on. But a picture of the far end caught her attention. She walked closer and studied it, it looked sort of familiar,but she couldn't figure it out. She jumped as Billy placed his hand on her shoulder.  
"What have you found?" He looked to the picture. It was a picture of a corridor, white walls, black tiled floor, nothing looked out of the unusual. It showed the path bending to the right. It wasn't the corridor they were in, that was certain, but something about it seemed...different.  
"Why is a picture of a corridor here? Was it their favourite or something?" Billy's voice broke the silence.  
"There must be something important about it, to an ordinary person it just looks like a picture of a corridor." She turned "Let's carry on searching this place"  
She walked over to the door Claire was standing beside and the two of them walked in. Billy was still concentrating on the picture when Rebecca stuck her head out "Billy come on!"

He took a few steps back still looking at the picture before finally turning and entering the only room in the corridor.

The room was brightly lit, the white walls they were used to had changed to a crimson red, the floor was carpeted in a slightly cream colour. To the left of them was a door, which of course was locked.  
Claire was in the corner looking at what seemed to be portraits "Becs.."  
She walked over to her curious as to what she had found. There were three large portraits each with a name engraved below " Oswell E Spencer, James Marcus, Edward Ashford."  
The portrait of Marcus was just the same as the one in the Arklay mansion, it sent a shiver down her spine.  
She turned to the smaller pictures to the floor and read out the names " Alexia Ashford, William Birkin, Albert Wesker, Alfred Ashford..and a slightly larger picture of Alexander Ashford."  
The Ashfords..Claire examined Alexander's picture, the man who got tested on by his own children, he looked nothing like what he mutated to. Slowly looking to Alfred and Alexia's paintings filled her with hate. Her and Steve believed there was no Alexia after finding out Alfred has a split personality, it was a relief for them, until of course she awoke and took Steve away from her  
"The founding fathers built a house with a name. One of his offspring built a facility on the ice. The original creator alone with the house builder and a student creating the T-Virus. He had an eye for the best, gaining two more prized students. 15 and 17-year-old geniuses. The son researching intelligence creating new life. One of the highest intelligence worshipped by the other." Billy's voice echoed round the room as he read out what was inscribed in the middle of a wall, opposite to the locked door. On the wall were what looked like hooks. "You think we need to decorate the place with those?"  
"I guess so..." Claire just stared at the pictures.  
"The founding fathers built a house with a name..." Rebecca thought for a moment "House with a name, we relate to one as the Spencer estate so we'll say that's him...One of this offspring built a facility on the ice..."  
"Ashford.." Claire swiftly replied "Alexander Ashford built the Antarctic facility so that one would most likely be Edward.." She was sat down leaning against the wall, unwanted memories filling her mind.  
"The original creator...has to be Marcus?" Rebecca looked towards Billy  
"Attention! This is Dr. Marcus. Please be silent as we reflect upon our company motto.." He couldn't resist imitating one of the men responsable for putting him and Rebecca through hell in the Arklay labs.  
"I can't believe you remember that..." She shook a slight disapproving look at him and continued "Had an eye for the best...two students..Well that's clearly Birkin and Wesker.."  
Claire had finally got back to her feet "Then Alexander, Alexia and Alfred.." She was the only one who knew about the Ashfords from the Rockfort and Antarctic incidents, it was clear how much Alfred worshipped the ground Alexia walked on.  
Billy went over and picked up a picture "So I guess we have to hang them up.."  
They placed the pictures in order to the inscription to hear the door unlocking behind them.  
Billy looked to Claire, it was clear this mission was taking its toll on her "You two wait here, I'll go on ahead"  
Rebecca turned to him with a confused expression "Wasn't it you who said we should all stick together?"  
He leaned forward and whispered in her ear " I think Claire needs a rest, she doesn't look good.. her mind is elsewhere, I'd rather you be here with her, she'll talk to you.."  
Rebecca nodded "It's fine, we each have a radio if you need to contact us.."  
"Any sign of trouble or if I find anything I'll be straight back okay? I'm just going to scout out the area." He put his hand to her arm then quickly removed it remembering what they agreed. They smiled at each other as he entered the once locked room.

Rebecca went over to Claire who was once again hunched back against the wall and sat next to her "You know if Billy can notice something wrong, it must be bad.."  
"All those memories...the Ashfords, Steve, it just all came flooding back...sure it was just Steve before, but now it's the zombie who first appeared, the Tyrant on the plane, the sight of Alexander crying out in his restrained chamber..Alfred's sick games. It's just all hit me again.." Claire never got this bad, sure some images came and went but she got on with it.  
Now they were searching for Steve all these puzzles weren't helping, especially when she had to see the faces of Alexia and Alfred again. Part of her felt that if Steve wasn't here she would have got her hopes up for nothing, back to square one with no leads, only hope...she desperatly wanted Steve back, she never felt so weak.

Rebecca put her arms around her. "Hey even I get like that, heck I'm surprised I didn't fall apart when I saw Billy again. No doubt it'll catch up to me soon. But don't give up Claire, all the evidence points to Steve still being here.."  
Claire gave a slight smile " I hope you're right..." They embraced each other for a few seconds " Have to say, you were very subdued when you woke and saw Billy"  
"Well I couldn't exactly do much, drugged up on pain killers."  
"But I saw all that flirting in the dorm, so I guess it's all good."  
Rebecca shyed away "more than flirting..."  
"WHAT!? When?" Claire had perked up and was very intrigued  
"When we were locked in that lab...but we aren't going to do anything about it until we leave this place, got to keep the mind focused you know."  
"You are allowed your moments, just not in a room of infected..."  
"Anyway!" Quickly changing the subect "What about when we find Steve?"  
"I don't know...I just want to get him out of here..out of this nightmare he's had."

Billy searched another clear room, not a lot to go on. A grandfather clock on the side, a couple of chairs and a coffee table. He looked closer at the clock face and opened the protective glass. It stopped at one o'clock exactly, what was it with clocks and stopping or not working in these places? Opening the clock face he noticed there were no gears..nothing was powering it, it had all been removed, apart from one right at the back that was about to fall off. He pushed it back on to hear a rumble beside him. Quickly going for his magnum he aimed at whatever the noise was to see a wall slowly moving up revealing some shelves. Cautiously walking towards them he saw another one of those name stones.  
"James Marcus...no escape is there..." He placed it with the other names in his bag. Back to the shelf he saw what seemed to be a photograph. It looked exactly the same as the painting on the wall outside, only there was no corridor..just a wall. He walked back to the picture room and saw Claire smiling at him  
"What? What have I done now?" He glanced back and forth between the two women, Rebecca seemed to be blushing a little. "What have I missed?"  
"Oh nothing, nothing.." Claire smiled more "We just had a nice little chat is all."  
He didn't know what they were talking about but glad Claire had cheered up. He showed them the picture he found "This was in a hidden compartment along with another one of those names...James Marcus"  
Rebecca took the picture "It's just like the one outside...but then it's not..." She looked to both of them "Secret passage?"  
Claire nodded "But if it is, how do we get to it, or even open it?"  
That was the question running through their minds as they left the room, weapons drawn, walking back down the long corridor over the bodies of the once again deceased, scattered along the floor.

* * *

**my mind is so focused on future chapters and how they are going to turn out I feel these ones are lacking.**


	16. The puzzles that lead the way

They arrived back to the corridor not far up from where the statue puzzle was. The many doors they passed would now be unlocked, what lie behind them was another thing. Walking back to the main area they open the first door, Claire leads they way into a well stocked room. every cabinet was full of jars each with a unique colour to the solution inside. Rebecca looked closely at several labels on each bottle, recognising some of the names. But nothing of any importance at the moment, leaving the room there were some double doors almost immediately to the left. Billy and Claire opened them, Rebecca with her assault rifle up and ready. The room was a mess, dead bodies scattered along the floor, the once black tiles where stained crimson red as were the once white walls. The whole room was full of containment chambers, each one smashed and torn to pieces, whether this was caused by the infected breaking out or someone else broke them, they couldn't know. There was nothing in this room for them, unless you liked the putrid smell of rotten flesh. Coming out into the more open area of the level before they could go into another room Billy paused and stared at a wall on the opposite side, it was right next to the door that needed the two puzzles completed before access was granted. It looked familiar when he pulled out the picture he found in the hidden compartment along with Marcus' name.  
"Hey guys, take a look at this." The other two looked over each shoulder and then to the wall he was pointing at.  
"It's exactly the same, now the problem is how do we open it?" Rebecca scratched at her head trying to get an answer  
"Let's look into the rooms we've unlocked and hopefully we'll come across the answer while we are at it." Claire led the way once again into another room containing more chambers than the one before, once again they were all smashed. "Well at least we know where those infected came from."  
"You think they opened the doors when we unlocked them?" Rebecca inspected one of the containers  
"Wouldn't put it past them, who knows how long they have been here, come on, no use staying here."  
Two rooms with no clues, it was frustrating for all of them, there had been no sign of Regan and time was ticking away to find Steve. There were five rooms left, one locked to all but the superior few, and another was the room which required the completion of two puzzles.  
Deciding to go in an anti clockwise from the room they were in they carefully entered what seemed to be the biggest room in the whole complex. More containers lined against the wall, but were intact, the supposedly clear covers where opaque, nothing but white. In the center stretching down the length of the room were several tables, blood stained and filthy. Rebecca walked to the far end and read a note on a desk

"From the information we received concerning the Bandersnatches from Rockfort prison and the Antarctic facility we have found a way for improvement using what we know from the deceased 0267's blood. That version of Veronica was pure, like the common cold it adapts and mutates the more people it infects, making it harder to cure, but it doesn't mutate as fast as what Umbrella would like. With 0267's pure form we injected only a small amount into a T-Virus infected patient to see a quicker and more powerful mutation. This way we re-created the Bandersnatches using a sample Albert delivered to us. They adapted to the virus and became stronger, they are now on par with the Tyrants also growing an extra arm in the process. Strict orders are in place not to shut down its life support or release it until verification from Albert Wesker."

A loud smash came from behind her, she quickly turned aiming her gun at the noise to see Claire and Billy lifted high in the air by their heads, a Bandersnatch had broken free.

Claire knew what she had to do, she raised her shotgun with one arm and did her best to get a close range shot, not knowing how far away she was from the monster, the sound of Billy's magnum rang in the air as he too fired at the creature. Rebecca had to run to the other side of the room to get a clear shot at the monster, she couldn't get close for a headshot and she didn't dare fire at a head that small without risk of hitting Billy or Claire. She fired at the creatures left shoulder, which was holding up Claire, emptying a magazine worked, she fell to the floor as Rebecca rushed to drag her out-of-the-way, still firing at the creature to let go of Billy.

A muffled scream filled the room as the pressure on his head grew. Claire knew he hadn't long left before his would be crushed, she had to risk using flame rounds on the creature. There was a chance part could hit Billy, but it was the only option left. Firing three rounds the monster flung him into one of the treatment tables and turned its attention to the two women firing at it. The right arm stretched just missing either head. It approached them, the chest cavity was wide open, out of it slowly growing was a spike. Rebecca switched to her grenade launcher firing multiple acid rounds, the monster drew ever closer as she kept backing up. It's anger aimed at the one who ruined its mauling of two others. Claire tried to get its attention as Rebecca switched back to her assault rifle, not able to find the time to constantly reload her launcher, before she knew it she was trapped, backed into a corner. It's chest cavity opened to show a spike forcing its way through, it was going in for the final kill. It grabbed her head, slowly guiding it towards the spike.

Billy regained some idea of where he was, the lack of oxygen had messed with his head. Fumbling around for his magnum he found it a few feet away, lunging to it.  
"Rebecca!"  
Claire's voice woke his senses as he staggered to a knee aiming his weapon to the monster and firing.  
Everything stopped, Rebecca just inches away from the tip of the spike felt the pressure around the top of her head loosen and quickly got out-of-the-way, looking over to Billy who collapsed to the floor once more. The infected fell to its knees, no scream of agony or dying. She ran straight to Billy, carefully checking his skull for any sign of fractures. There was none much to her relief.  
"Take deep breaths, you've just been starved of oxygen.."  
"My... head..."  
"You're alright, I'll give you some strong painkillers." She helped him up and sat him on one of the tables, giving him a more through examination making sure his sight and reflexes were fine. "All clear, you're lucky you came out of that with just a headache. Here hold on to me, let's get out of here before any more break loose"  
Claire helped Rebecca walk Billy out of the lab back, letting him lean against the wall as Claire investigated the next room they needed to search.  
Giving the all clear to the others they walked into an office, Rebecca placed Billy at the desk. The room was bare, just the desk in the center of the room, the carpet was dusty, markings on the walls where a paintings or posters may have been.

It was getting even more strange that they weren't finding any leads, any information. As Rebecca gave Billy the much-needed painkillers Claire searched the drawers, nothing. This was getting more and more frustrating when they heard a faint knock on the wall, they looked towards each other as another knock is heard.  
"I'll go check it out.." Rebecca reloaded her assault rifle and started to head towards the door when Billy grabbed her arm "I'll be okay, I'll be straight back..i've got the radio remember?"  
He hesitantly let her go.  
She took a deep breath as she raised her gun, looking down the sight as she quickly opened the door to see a pale old man gasping for breath against the wall. She kept the gun locked on him, it was clear he could turn at any moment. "Who are you?"  
"Security...it's about time you showed up...even though you're too late..too busy enjoying your new uniform or something?"  
Security? Rebecca was puzzled at first but remembered where she found the change of clothes at the facility station.  
"Wh-what's the situation, actually don't tell me...I know we're finished...this place had gone...to the dogs..."  
"What happened Doctor..."  
"That's Professor Williams to you, you must be one of the new add ons.."  
Williams, that was one of the names on that door...  
"I've not got much time left.." He looked at the empty medicine jars on the floor "The supposed anti-virus we made hasn't worked..it just slows down the process...I know who let the Veronica loose...he was supposed to keep Albert informed of the situation...but became suspicious..we decided to withhold information from him...In that room...my section...everything you need to know...take my card...make sure Albert gets it all..don't give to Umbrella...passcode...JYV80511WPU..." The man was gasping for breath as blood poured from his mouth "Kill...me..."  
He was turning, as much as Rebecca wanted more information out of him there was nothing she could do, walking up to him she grabbed his head in her hands and broke his neck. Taking the man's card she took one last look at him and left to re join the others.

"Looks like we can get access to restricted files now" Holding up the key card towards the others with a smile, telling them what happened in the other room.  
"Regan did this...but why? Revenge for them kicking him out?...Either way he's dead..." Billy was definatly feeling much better..

"This is getting stupid now!" Walking into the room which required the two earlier puzzles to be completed were greeted by another puzzle..not one, but three. "This is supposed to be a facility testing the Veronica Virus..not some crappy mystery game."  
"Look, why don't you and Claire go and see what Williams kept in that room and I'll deal with this.." She handed them the card key. Claire took it from her and ushered Billy out the door with her. Scanning the room on one wall where more pictures, but of what seemed to be entrances or hallways of some sort. She recognised the Spencer mansion's main hall and the Arklay mansion..no missing Marcus' face at the top of those stairs. Even the Raccoon City police entrance was there. Under each picture was a hole, fairly long but came to a point at the back. One of them was already filled  
"Alfred Ashford...that must be the house on Rockfort..so the names of the people go underneath their respective buildings.." Only problem was Billy had the names with him in his backpack, she knew they weren't going to be gone long but it was still frustrating.

_"Becs, we are in, the shutters to Wesker, Birkin, Spencer and Regan are opened. Williams is intact, do you have a clue what the pass code was?"_  
"JYV80511WPU, no sign of Regan?"  
_"Not a sound, he's been here that's clear and Williams' shutter has signs of force, but I guess he couldn't do it and left."_  
Looking to a box Rebecca noticed some plastic rectangles with words on "Power, obedience, life, breeds..." On the lower part of each wall were gaps big enough to fit each of the words.  
"Claire, can you put Billy on a moment? He might actually be useful here.."  
_"Yeah, sure hang on a sec.."_  
_"I'm here"_  
"Billy, I'd never thought I'd ever ask you this...but you know that Umbrella company motto...what was it?"  
_"That is the worst chat up line ever..."_  
"Haha, very funny, it's one of the puzzles." She couldn't help but smile at his comment.  
_"This is Dr Marcus blah blah blah...Obedience breeds discipline, discipline breeds unity, unity breeds power, power is life."_  
She placed the pieces in the wall.  
"Thanks Billy, I need you back here as soon as you can."  
_"Oh? Is that a promise?"_  
"...I need those stone names..." She didn't mind his flirting or cheeky mannerisms, but it still felt awkward in this situation, and with Claire no doubt listening to him.  
_"We're on our way back now."_

She looked to the final puzzle on a pedestal like the one in the statue room. It was a miniature version of it, statues were already in place as to the puzzle.  
In the center of the statues read 'The two who are close, yet have been taken from each other." Rebecca thought too deeply to how that could relate to Claire and Steve, she remembered eleven and eight were the 'ones with eyes for each other' and carefully turned them accordingly. There was a 'clunk', she was ready to swing her automatic round if anything moved, silence.

Claire re entered the room with a briefcase as Billy took his backpack off and placed all the triangular names into Rebecca's hands. "How's everything here?"  
"Just got this puzzle to do now."  
Billy looked round the room to see the Umbrella motto around the bottom of each wall "And there was me trying to forget, yet it's come in pretty handy..so what's left?"  
Rebecca placed the names under the corresponding picture. Oswell E Spencer under the picture of the mansion that she left Billy for, Albert Wesker under the R.P.D building and Marcus under the Arklay mansion. "I don't know what this place is.."  
Claire looked at the picture in question "That is the tunnel which lead to garbage disposal and a giant alligator, basically a way to the labs under Raccoon City."  
"A giant alligator? And there's me thinking a giant scorpion was bad enough.." He shook his head.  
"So Birkin in the labs, or here? Hang on, doesn't that mean we are missing a name?  
"Birkin has to be in the labs of Raccoon, that's where he created the G-Virus" Claire was adamant that it was the correct space for his name. But Rebecca did bring up a good point, Spencer, Markus and Ashford had their mansions, Wesker had to be R.P.D but then who was in charge of this facility?  
"Williams, but we haven't come across anything that resembles one of those name things" Rebecca placed Birkin under the Raccoon labs and turned back to the others. "Looks like we will have to split up again.."  
Billy shook his head "Hate to admit it, but it's the only wa-" He was interrupted by a rumbling sound very close to them, the whole room shook for several moments before it ceased. "What the hell...you think?" The women nodded.  
Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, weapon at hand he slowly left the room with the other two closely following. The wall that was once there had gone, just like the picture.

What greeted them was a dark and narrow hallway. Claire gave Billy her torch as he took point, slowly sweeping the floor, walls and ceiling, leading them deeper into the darkness. Rebecca kept her eyes back to the entrance in case of any sudden movements or charges from infected.  
The corridor turned to the right, for a few steps and then swept back left. As they reached a door Billy covered the front and Claire the rear as Rebecca punched in the code she input into the security system, access denied, followed by her other code to enter the containment area, access denied.  
Billy turned his head slightly to her "Is there a code you haven't used yet?"  
She reached into her pocket, scanning the piece of paper "No, these have all been used..except.." She punched in the code Williams gave her and the door opened. "If in doubt, use the guy in charge's number.."  
They entered a dimly lit room, but with enough light to at least see where they were walking. Billy scanned all four corners as Rebecca took a seat in front of yet another control panel, large monitors were scattered on the wall, a group bunched together with some to the far left.  
Claire took a seat at the table behind and proceeded to pick the two locks on the briefcase.  
"This is on minimal power, but I can't seem to get it working.."  
Billy walked up behind her, leaning over her shoulder and scanning the switches and buttons, noticing a small slot at the top. "You might need this then.." He dangled a key in front of her face and smiled. On the key a tag, 'Panel', "Hiding the darkest, secluded corner, let there be light.."  
He placed the key in the slot and turned, the room lit up, machines beeped and screens came to life.  
"Right, got it" Claire successfully picked the briefcase and began to open it when she was suddenly stopped by Rebecca's voice.  
"Claire.."  
She looked up to the monitors, there in front of her in a capsule, the man who saved her, the man who died for her, the man she was desperate to find, Rockfort Prisoner and Patient number 0267...Steve Burnside.

* * *

**This has taken me FOREVER to do. My mind has been so focused on Steve's return that I've struggled with the past couple of chapters (It even shows..) think I started this one from scratch 3 times. But it's finally done! **

**Once again thank you for reading this story and sorry for the delay!**


	17. Awakening

The man she had searched for the past five months was there in front of her. His hair had grown back from buzz cut to how she remembered it, he looked so peaceful.  
Her body just took over as she leapt from her seat and ran towards the door, only to be caught and stopped by Billy.  
"Please I need to see him!" She struggled to get free from the man's grasp  
"I know you do, but rushing in there...you don't know what you will face. Remember he thinks your dead, how would he react if you are suddenly alive and talking to him? He might go into madness ,look Rebecca's got the heart monitor up, yes he's alive, but let her be able to help you by making sure everything is safe for you."  
Rebecca spun her chair round to look at the other woman. "Claire, let me get accustomed to all the procedures, failsafe and check past information, I need to make sure we are safe as well. You saw what he did to several people in a matter of seconds. The fact that he's been here this long, probably in the same room with the same four walls day in, day out would have taken its toll. I need you and Billy to go through that briefcase and find out as much information as you can, be it Steve or Veronica, okay?"  
Billy was suddenly questioning where that shy girl, nervous girl from ten months ago had gone, she was so much more confident (not that she already was ) and so calm, suddenly being the technical support as well as the medic and chemist. It just made him admire her even more.

Claire finally calmed down as he let her go, escorting her back to her seat as he sat on top of the table.  
Rebecca got back to work looking through past reports, none of them were dated, she had to guess which order they went in.

_Showing positive life signs, obviously being deceased for so long we are unsure what damage has been done to the brain. Still unconscious, but Virus seems to be_  
_revitalising him._

_Woke in chamber, obvious distress and panic, sedated once again as he was close to cardiac arrest._

_Injected patient with a sedative before we released him from his capsule. Slowly explaining to him he's in rehabilitation as to not distress him further we did some_  
_basic mental tasks and puzzles. Passed. Was not capable of speech at this moment in time but nod or shook his head to basic yes / no questions_

_We left the capsule open to observe how patient will react. Legs function and eyes adjusted, spent most of the time staring at the cameras._

_After 4 months patient finally spoke perfect english. Showing anger towards us, concerning treatment and isolation. Yet still no sign of mutation._

She read through more files, mainly concerning his basic life signs, which were the same as she was seeing on the screen to her left.

_After using the name and manipulating him, we finally got the mutation we've been after, all cameras cut out for two seconds, by the time they returned the employees, __which were talking to him had perished._

She couldn't believe mutation signs heart rate and blood pressure were almost triple that of normal human being. The strain his body would have to go through. She found and read through the supposed chemical structure of the anti-virus.

Also finding out how to bring the wall back up. The slight trembling began as she activated it, the wall gradually rising from the floor back to covering the corridor.

Billy came across information the two women would have needed for their original mission - a summary of the new VeronicaU Virus .

_From our research the Veronica virus was not complete to Umbrella's standards. It was up to us to create bio weapons of outstanding strengths._  
_Of course thanks to Albert Wesker we could finally turn our backs on Umbrella when we were certain the virus was at its optimum power._  
_8 months ago we were able to release a weakened virus as gas through the vents to Understock Prison to see its effects, knowing it might take more time than injecting them._  
_Any new additions to the prison were sent here for more vigorous tests, leading to the rebirth of the bandersnatches._  
_Others adapted to different ways, turning into the infected from earlier viral outbreaks, our new adapted VeronicaU gave chance for change_.  
_The older the infected was the more it knew basic actions, like running, climbing stairs and opening doors. The older they were the more their bodies changed, eventually showing a spike growing out of their mouth. This lead to them not being able to feed and became more dangerous, as they starved the more desperate they became._  
_The spike led to almost instant death to those who got caught._  
_Understock reported prisoners getting ill, but no mutations, some were brought here and placed into containment chambers whilst others were shot._  
_Other patients adapted when infected insects burrowed into their skin, turning them into part human part insect, these included cockroaches, spiders and ants._  
_The Experimental is a complete success and will stay in the mansion basement until the time arrives._

Claire took the paper from him and studied it "It's basic but defiantly helpful."  
She turned her attention to a folder simply titled '0267' These were Williams' own personal notes

_Patient 0267 brought deceased from Antarctic Facility by Samuel Regan_  
_Strong amounts of t-Veronica Virus in bloodstream._

_The fact that Samuel Regan kept visiting was a cause for concern. I didn't trust him in the facility even if he reported to Wesker._  
_For our protection I proceeded to tell him that Patient 0267 had died, that he was in a constant vegetative state after we woke him, the stress was too much._  
_We transferred him to the hidden block to protect him. His mind was very fragile, it would take a lot more time for him to adapt. Whilst his rehabilitation took place_  
_the rest of the staff concentrated on The Experimental, only I had access to 0267 for a period of time. Albert told me all he knew about his imprisonment_  
_at Rockfort, and the company he was with throughout the experiences there and at the Antarctic facility._  
_He did respond to my questions, denying any knowledge of his travelling companion, it was clear he was still trying to protect her._  
_After much talking to Michelle and Albert we decided to use the companion to anger and distress him to mutate._  
_A story that she had died at another Umbrella facility, manipulating photos to show her dead, he grew out of control and mutated. Sending security in was a waste of life __we didn't exactly see him mutate, but we got the readings._  
_A fail safe in case of these happenings had been installed before, sending gases into the room disoriented and knocked patient out for approximately 10 minutes._  
_I know we pushed it too far, now he won't listen to anything we say and if we set him free he'll kill anyone in this facility if they try to stop him._  
_It was decided he would be kept in a cryogenic coma until he was needed._  
_It was a success that we brought him back and he helped us create a more powerful Veronica Virus, but as he slowly gained his memory it went against us._

Claire looked back to him on the screen. All that he had gone through, the torture...believing that she died. The endless experiments..it was too much for her as she silently cried in her hands.  
Billy looked up to her and placed a comforting arm around her "You found anything Becs?"  
Rebecca turned round looking stunned "Did you just call me Becs?"  
"Would you rather be doll face?"  
She sighed "I've found a gas countermeasure for the room, I'm upgrading it somewhat just in case. I can disable the Cryogenics and release him, but I'm still trying to make sure that we'd be safe if the worst happens, which to be honest doesn't look likely.."  
"You remember those recordings? Can we speak to him before anyone goes in?"  
"Intercom is wrecked, would take too long to repair."  
Claire stood up "Then just let me go in there, our radios work so if something happens you can let me know immediately."  
"You forgotten what I said before? The man thinks you're dead, there is no telling what he would do to you!"  
"I trust Steve, he saved my life, now it's my turn to save him. If and I mean if the worst case scenario happens then use the gas, knock both of us out and get me out of there." Claire had never been so determined, the fire in her eyes were clear to see, she wasn't taking no for an answer.

She walked to a cupboard and picked the lock, inside was one of the new security outfits and a gas mask. She threw the mask at Billy. "You'll need this."  
He walked to Rebecca and whispered in her ear "You're not letting her do this are you?"  
"We'd have to do it sometime soon Billy, I've almost finished a new gas compound. But Claire, are you sure this is what you want? It could turn nasty easily.."  
"Then I'm relying on you to use that gas and get me out of there." She placed everything she had on the table, not taking any chances to upset him if he sees her with a gun.  
Rebecca turned back to the monitor and began the finishing touches.  
Billy looked to the camera monitors, the corridors were now brightly lit showing they weren't far from where Steve was being held, he wasn't exactly with what was happening. Worst case scenario was that Claire would be dead within seconds, leaving them in a bad situation..especially of the gas didn't work. He trusted Rebecca completely but this was the carrier of the Veronica virus.  
Rebecca placed her hand on his "I know you're concerned, but there isn't any other option..it's either get him to come with us or kill him with the rest of the facility. If that was you in there, I'd do the same...I'd want to save you.." He nodded and looked over to Claire as Rebecca went back to the keyboard in front of her once more. If Rebecca was in there, he'd do everything in his power to save her, Claire even saw that when she got taken by Regan..the determination to get a loved one back.  
"Any sign of trouble and we are getting you out of there..."  
"Only in extreme circumstances..."  
"You take care..."  
Rebecca turned once more "...all set, when you get there i'll unlock the door.." There was a long silence in the room as Claire walked back out into the corridor, turning a corner once again to be greeted with a menacing looking door.  
Standing in front of it she looked to the camera in the corner "I'll keep my comm open so you can hear everything.."

Rebecca armed the gas system, incase the worst did happen. She reached over to the man now sitting next to her entangling her hand in his and pushed a switch with the other.

Claire heard the door unlock and slowly reached to the handle  
_"Good luck..."_  
Taking a deep breath she opened the door and stepped in to the room.

Rebecca pushed a couple more switches, unlocking Steve's capsule, in turn deactivating the cryogenics that held him there. Claire stood not far from the wall on the opposite side of the door.

_"Vital signs normal...it's all up to you now Claire.."_

Watching as he slowly woke at sat up her emotions got the better of her as tears once again fell down her cheeks. There was alive...breathing...the only difference was that he wore what looked like a grey scrubs.

He turned his head and looked directly into her eyes...


	18. The lost love

Steve slowly opened his eyes, the light was so bright _'How long have I been out? Well I guess since what happened the last time I was awake a very long time, Probably months'_ He slowly raised himself up to a sitting position his eyes were taking too long to adjust, the whole room was blurred. Scanning it he saw a figure, female from the looks of it, just standing there. A blur of colour compared to the usual white he's used to. He climbed out of his container having to balance himself _'Boy they really did keep me in there for a long time'. _He stared at the figure a few feet away from him, his eyes were finally adjusting 'Great, so what circus act do they want me to do this time, or what act are they going to pull on me..'  
His vision became sharp, the details of the person were clear. It was a woman, dark jeans, black t-shirt, red sleeveless jacket. _'Hmph, definatly not the usual visitor to my room'_. He looked around the room, this woman was the only one there. It was odd to Steve, usually he was surrounded by several scientists, each were armed ready to disable any wrong movements he did, this woman appeared to be unarmed. Dark hair, the dark hair with a hint of red seemed familiar to him in some way, looking back to her it was parted on the side the fringe swept across the forehead the rest back in a ponytail. Why did it look familiar? He searched the deepest parts of his mind to find the answer, memories came flooding back, ones he should have long forgotten. The images, the darkness, the beds, the smell, dogs, zombies..a person..

All Claire could do was look, as much as she wanted to wrap her arms around him and take him away from this place he needed to remember on his own. It was clear he was searching for answers, the confused look on his face said it all.

Rebecca looked back to the screen and positioned her hand just above the key to confirm the gas release. She knew this was a bad idea letting Claire do this  
but knew she couldn't change her mind. Claire knew what would probably happen which is why she only told her to use it in extreme circumstances, no matter how much she wanted to press that key right at that very moment. They watched them for a while, just standing there.

"What do you think is going through his head?" Billy's voice lifted the silence in the observation room.

"I dread to think, the man has been brainwashed to believe she is dead. As much as I want to activate the gas I've got to respect Claire's wishes."

The person, a faceless person. The same person who got him out of a trapped room, the same person who saved him after being thrown off a heliport, the same person he saved from one of those weird arm creatures, the person he saved when he was about to behead her. He looked back to the figure examining the face once more. The pieces were coming together, the more he stared at the face, the more the faceless person in his memories returned. The image was clear, it was the same person in front of him, a little different but the features match. The same person from that nightmare in the prison and from the cold, icy facility.

"C-Claire?"

She nods "Yes Steve, I've come to get you out of here."

Without any hesitation he wraps his arms around her waist as she wraps hers around his shoulders in a tight embrace.

"Steve..I'm so glad... I've finally found you."

He didn't say a thing his mind was busy reminding him of something else. Photographs, lots of them, a body riddled with bullet holes, blood everywhere and the face...the face...it was everywhere...the face was of the person he currently was embracing. Her body, lifeless and pale on the floor in a pool of blood, dead.

A sudden loud beeping filled the room, she glanced to Steve's life signs noticing that this heartbeat was rapidly increasing as was his blood pressure.  
Billy grabbed the gas mask in preparation "He's changing!"  
"I can't press it Billy, she said in extreme circumstances!"  
"You saying this isn't extreme enough? The evidence is in front of you Rebecca, the guy is mutating and going to kill her!"

Steve let go of her and turned away, facing one of the cameras. They watched as his eyes slightly turned green before reverting back to blue.  
"Claire..." He smirked and wrapped his arm around her around the neck into a choke hold.  
"Steve! What are you.."  
"Quiet, I know your game, and I've had enough of them!" He looked back to the camera "I've had enough, you want me to keep killing your cronies!? My jacket is stained with the blood of people you've tried to trick me with! Now you use the face of a dead woman? Thought you could toy with my emotions like that!?"  
"Steve...please..."  
"And what's with the sudden change? 0267 this 0267 that and now you're calling me by my real name and not a number! Haven't you had enough of fucking with my head!?"  
His grip was tightening "Ever since I got here, all you've tried to do is mess with my head..stick needles in me day in, day out. When are you just going to let me die? Better, how about you just come in here by yourself and actually face me! Afraid? I bet you are. Just some coward hiding in another room, safe, cosey..free.

_"Claire, please let me use the gas, Billy will get you out of there immediately!"_

"..n-...no"

_"Claire you don't understand he's gaining strength! He's going to kill you!"_

"N-...no..leave him...alone.."

"What? What are you talki- oh..." He takes her radio off her ear and replaced it to his "Well well well, I knew it was a bit strange that there were only one of you.."  
_"Please let her go."_  
"Oh the powers that be, it's about time.."  
_"My name is Rebecca Chambers, I was assigned with Claire Redfield to investigate suspected Veronica Virus activity at this facility."_

"Well that's something, please tell me more..."

_ "Further investigations in the mansion showed evidence that you were brought here. When Claire found out that there was a strong possibility that you were here she wasn't going to leave until she found you."_  
"Interesting.."  
_"Steve, you really don't want to kill her..."_  
"Oh I do, I've had enough of your stupid games, I've seen the pictures...she's dead I've seen the evidence...what is this test supposed to prove? To see how the virus reacts to my emotions? The hurt, the pain, sadness, sorrow? Come on, help me out here.."

_"What they showed you was a lie! In front of you is the real Claire Redfield! Can't you see? Why would Umbrella go so far as to copy her?"_

"Well you guys seem to be highly stuck up of trying to make me mutate so...yeah...pretty obvious"  
_"Steve, please, let her go, she never died, she never got caught and she will prove she is the REAL Claire Redfield"_  
Nothing happened for a few moments until he let her go quickly stepping back, throwing the radio away to a point where Rebecca could only just hear them.

"Make me believe...make me believe you are the real you...and not some fake...if you don't prove it, then you're... dead..simple as.."  
"What do you want to know? Only you can ask the questions..or it would look like a script."  
He thought for a moment before answering "How did we meet, on Rockfort.."  
"I just escaped from an underground cell and walked into the main entrance to the prison, you fired on me from the guard tower...I destroyed the spotlight and you came down refusing to let me come with you because I'd 'only slow you down.'"  
"Let's keep going..that Antarctic facility...we found an escape route, but I messed it up...how?"  
"You weren't looking at the vehicle as you were moving it into place, you were looking at me...causing it to break a pipe which contained poisonous gas, flooding the area. We had to go and shut it off for safe passage."  
He couldn't believe what he was hearing, everything was right, there was no way Umbrella would know about this, especially things that were said. He slouched against the wall, head down arms resting on his knees.

"Back in the prison you were checking up on my brother, Chris. Jokingly you suggested I used the co ordinates of the place to get him to come."  
"...and he did..."  
"Yes, he came for both of us..."  
"Tell me more..."  
"We found out that Alfred had a split personality and was pretending to be Alexia..We escaped the island, only to be diverted by Alfred to Antarctica"  
He wrapped his arms around his head, extra memories came to him the more she spoke.  
"After we shut the gas off we escaped, only for the vehicle to be attacked by the real Alexia...you were taken...Chris found me and I found you again, you pushed me away as you..." This was one memory Claire really didn't like to think about "..as you mutated..." She took a deep breath as she continued "I ran, but was locked in the entrance...you were swinging at the bars that separated us...when Alexia's vines or tentacles...whatever they were, broke through the wall and grabbed me. You broke through the bars, and raised the axe, swinging it to my neck...but you stopped...you fought back..you said my name and cut me loose, before Alexia attacked you..."  
"Who did I have to kill at Rockfort...who did..." His voice was clearly shaking now as the reality set in.  
"Your father...he originally went for you but turned to me...you couldn't shoot him when we was coming for you. but shot him as he attacked me.."  
"...After I changed back...what were...my...last words.."  
"I'm glad that I met you..." She walked over, crouching down to him and wrapped her arms around him and whispered "..I love you."  
Steve had wrapped his arms around her "Is it really you?... I-It's not Umbrella?...If it's a dream I don't want this to end..."

She held him tighter "It's really me, I've finally found you, and I'm not letting you go again.."


	19. The calm before the storm

First of all big apologies. I started this story updating daily, to every couple of days, to weekly, fortnightly and then I just disappeared. That fabled writers block.

I did start on a completely different story and then got it on that so I've not been doing well as of late . But I finally bring a new chapter!

* * *

Rebecca and Billy left them to it whilst they searched through the system for means of escape from the facility. Bringing the maps up once again they searched for all possible exits with only the two available are the fire exit on their floor, which required an entry code entering in the security room on the first level to activate the self destruct system for the door to even open. Or the way they came in, through the station which led back to the mansion. They knew the mansion was not an option...unless they wanted immediate death by a heard of infected. Billy went over and checked each weapon and the amount of ammo each had.  
"Can't say we have an awful lot left." He looked to the small pile of magazines and began to reload each weapon.  
"Well we know where the fire escape is, only problem is that none of these maps show where it comes out. Hang on Billy, we never checked those labs that were locked! Maybe they will shed some light on this!"  
"Rebecca, you have all the information you need concerning the Veronica Virus, even the main virus carrier. Your main concern now is to get the hell out of here and destroy this place.. Nothing is ever easy escaping these places, you know that as well. We need to take what we can because.." He was interrupted by the door opening, with their guard on high they reached for the nearest gun they could find.  
"That's a nice welcoming party..." Claire stared down the two barrels aimed straight at her.  
"Sorry, force of habit.." Rebecca quickly lowered her weapon and placed it back into her holster. The two of them were so focused on an escape route they didn't notice that they left the room or even see them coming through the corridor.  
Claire ushered Steve into the room, "Steve, this is Rebecca Chambers, Medical and technical expert."  
"Nice to finally meet you" She smiled and shook his hand.  
"And this is Billy Coen, him and Rebecca were at the very first outbreak back in the Arklay mountains." Steve held out his hand, but the other man didn't move. His pistol was lowered but still in his grasp. As tempting as it was to give him a reminder about the last time someone pointed a gun to him, he thought it was best not to, these are the people who saved him, killing them was out of the question.  
He slowly put his hand down meeting the stare he was receiving.

Billy's glare finally looked back to the screens in front of Rebecca as Steve went to join Claire on the opposite side of the room.  
"Hey what was that about? As introductions go you didn't exactly make the best one of the century.." He looked to see her glaring at him "..you know what it's like when people are against you yet you are doing it to him." She turned to see Steve and Claire talking away happily.  
"Trust is a little hard to come by in these times, don't forget he is the Veronica virus there will always be a threat. I'm just doing my best to look out for you  
two and if that means showing him that I'm always suspecting him then so be it. Yes people did it to me, but I knew I couldn't make one false move or I'd dead."  
"You trust me and Claire?"  
"Of course I do. But remember you didn't trust me when we first met."  
"That's because you were a wanted criminal on murder charges."  
"Yes, but then you found out the truth. I can see the trust and closeness between him and Claire. But we have also seen what happens when he mutates, he killed those people in the blink of an eye. That's why I'm keeping my guard up."  
Rebecca understood where he was coming from, but in her eyes if Claire trusted him with her life - and that was already proved, she could one hundred percent trust him also.

"So after we left to finish Alexia you were taken by Albert Wesker, who used to be Rebecca's boss and brought here by a man called Samuel Regan, who used to be Billy's boss."  
"Even if all of you had just met up each of you would have had a reason to be here, pretty creepy coincidence...but i'm so relieved it was you who found me. Everyday all they would do was constantly talk about you... It's like they knew your name would get my attention and used it how they pleased. How I wished that you would appear to wipe those smiles of their faces...but then they showed the pictures of you 'dead'..of course I didn't believe it at first but it all just seemed too real...they finally broke me...got what they wanted. I just gave up...I thought you were lost forever."

Claire smiled and placed her hands around one of his. "I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere. I don't want to lose you again." She lowered her head looking at the '0267' that he was marked with, a constant reminder to him of all the horrors they had been through. With his free hand Steve gently lifted her head to look straight into her eyes as he slowly stroked the soft skin on her cheek.

A sudden bang made everyone jump. Rebecca and Billy quickly scanned each and every camera, all but Steve's area had turned to infra-red.  
"Power cut?"

"No they'd have over rides and multiple back ups so that would never happen, plus all the cameras were still operational." There was only one other option left.  
"Shit we gotta go now!" Billy quickly holstered his magnum and started picking up each weapon from the table and giving them to each owner.  
Claire and Steve quickly turned "What's going on?"  
Rebecca shouldered her assault rifle and grenade launcher "Self destruct, the power has gone from the main building, any creatures left are out."  
Claire quickly grabbed her weapons from Billy and handed the sub machine guns to Steve. As much as Billy didn't want him to have any weapons the situation they were in was serious.  
Rebecca went back to the control panel and pressed the switch to lower the wall giving them access back to the main area. She pressed it multiple times,  
"It's not going down!"

Billy rushed to the door, even that was securely locked, no matter how much force he used it wasn't going to budge. They were trapped.  
Steve quickly looked around the walls and ceiling he came to a grate hiding in the corner. He pushed the table towards it. Unable to reach he grabbed the stool and ripped it off. Taking Claire's torch he shone the bright light either way before jumping back down.  
"The vents are big, easy enough for everyone to crawl through single file."  
Billy shook his head "There are monsters in the vents and they take some punishment."  
"You got any better ideas? It's either stay stuck in here, get blown up or at least try to escape."  
As much as Billy didn't want to believe it he knew it was the only way. "..alright, Claire you take point, Steve, Rebecca then me." He stuffed the documents from Williams' briefcase into his rucksack and flung it over his shoulder. They didn't know how much time they had to escape or how long they'd be or what they will find in the vents but it was now or never.

Steve had given Claire one of his sub machine guns, there was no way he would let her lead with a pistol. He crawled one-handed holding the torch steady lighting up the way ahead just as Billy was doing the same at the back. A faint noise was heard in the distance gradually getting louder the closer they got. Claire recognised it immediately, the annoying and repetitive voice '**The self destruct sequence has been activated**'  
_'For once I thought we'd set it off'_  
They knew they were in the main part of the facility once more, seeing a grate leading back down into the building Claire quickened her pace and kicked through. Taking the torch from Steve to find they were above the room they didn't pay much attention to the first time round, the room with the vials of bright coloured liquid. The coast was clear, Claire dropped down and made sure the door was shut before signalling to the others that it was safe. It was a small room as it was yet alone with four people.  
"Rebecca, what are you doing we have to go!" Billy watched as she picked up several vials and placed them in his bag.  
"Okay okay I won't be a second!"  
"Guys, can you not hear the self destruct has been activated? The longer we waste there the mo-" Steve suddenly stopped and started scanning the room, sub machine gun ready and armed.  
Claire quickly placed a hand on the other two getting their attention and silence. They all watched as his head and eyes bolted from one side to the next.  
Billy raised his gun towards him "Steve.." He received no response. Right then and there the temptation to pull the trigger was great, until Claire placed herself between the barrel and the target.

Claire took the younger man's head in her hands "Steve look at me, concentrate"  
He regained his composure looking straight into the eyes of his rescuer "Hissing...There is something in the vents..."  
Silence filled the room once more, but the other three couldn't hear anything over that constant computerized voice.  
Rebecca zipped up Billy's backpack and placed her hands firmly to her assault rifle pointing it up to the vent they were just in.  
"We have to go, now" Billy prepared the door handle. "Steve, you take the left side, I take the right, Claire and Becs keep in the middle."  
Suddenly a loud hissing filled the room Rebecca looked to see two of the monsters her and Billy fought in the labs. Billy pulled the door open, rushing through with Steve quickly taking their positions and shining each torch down their side of the corridor. The monster swiped at the two women furiously as the careless attacks smashed bottles to the ground. Steve took no chances quickly grabbing Rebecca and pulling her out of harms way into the corridor. Before he could reach Claire she was flung into one of the glass cabinets on the opposite side.  
"Claire!" Steve rushed in without any care for his own safety, enveloping her as a claw came swooping down to attack. Moments passed, nothing happened. He looked over his shoulder to see the monsters scurrying back into the ventilation duct. He didn't have time to question what just happened, all that mattered to him was Claire. He helped her back to her feet both quickly leaving the room and taking their positions in the corridor.  
"Okay Steve, the exit is around the corner, it's the isolated room in the center."  
Steve nodded and slowly lead them around the darkened corner seeing the door that was mentioned, but something else had noticed them.  
"Shit, and I thought I'd seen the last of these.."  
Claire looked over his shoulders to see five bandersnatches standing idly in front of their escape route. "They are stronger than last time Steve.."  
"Shit got two behind us as well...they must have broken out of their capsules when the self destruct started.." Billy's gun pointing back down the corridor,  
the team was stuck. All but Steve knew how much it took to take one down. On its own they could do it between them, but against seven?  
They drew their strongest weapons, the two monsters behind them were slowly walking to their location, as soon as the first bullet or round was shot they knew if there was anything else on this floor it would find them within an instant.  
_"What I wouldn't do for a gatling gun right now..."_ Billy was about to pull the trigger on his shotgun when Steve suddenly stopped them  
"Wait..."  
"Great, wait for our immediate death...thanks Steve..i'll just let them rip me to shreds without fighting back.."  
"Trust me, everyone group together.."  
They did as he asked, Billy and Rebecca stood against the wall opposite Steve and Claire. The two bandersnatches walked around the corner and stopped.  
Steve looked towards them, they seemed to be oblivious to the three others and concentrated on the young man.  
It was a tense few seconds until they quickly backed off.  
Billy looked to the others "What the hell just happened?"  
"All I did was tell them to back off"  
"So...just like that they are going to leave us alone? I don't buy that..." The older man shook his head "..What are you, their master all of a sudden?"  
He nodded "Guess I am.." Steve now knew that being the core of the Veronica Virus gave him special advantages. In all honestly it surprised him that even worked, which was a relief when they turned into the more open area of the containment level to be greeted by five bandersnatches blocking their exit. All it took was one look from Steve and they parted. Claire knew they had burst out from the very room where her, Billy and Rebecca nearly came close to being killed by one of these. If Steve wasn't here they would certainly be dead in seconds.

Claire took point once more as they quickly descended down what seemed to be an everlasting spiral staircase until they reach a metal door. Billy helped her slide the heavy metal open, the screeching of the runners echoing back up the staircase. "Right let's get out of this hell hole"


End file.
